A Walk in the Dark
by FreckledAdvocate
Summary: Just because the entire Cullen family has gone hunting, doesn't mean Bella shouldn't walk home from town,right? But what happens when three men corner her, and give her the possibility of a real nightmare. And her beloved monster isn't there to save her.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first Twilight multi-chap story. It's going to get pretty dark most likely; depending on how I decide to write it. Be warned, it has strong content. Please review. If I get enough reviews I'll post the second chap which is already written. Enjoy.

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BPOV

I had just decided to go to the coffee shop with Angela. She'd called me up and asked me to go. Edward and the rest of the Cullens had gone hunting this particular Saturday, so I thought, _why not? It would be fun._ And it was. We talked and laughed for over an hour sipping our flavored coffees, and then Angela had to go to work.

"Oh shoot, I'm supposed to be there now_!" _She'd said, jumping after she looked at her gave me this really guilty, stressed out look. We'd both taken her car in order to save gas, but she was overreacting. It was only a short mile through town and a few blocks past that to get home.

"Don't worry about it. I'll walk._" _I'd said. I really didn't mind. Maybe I'd take advantage of the free afternoon and buy some early Christmas gifts on my way home. After all, Edward was out of town and wouldn't have been home until at least the next day.

"Are you sure_?" _Angela had asked, clearly distressed on bailing on my ride home. I grinned at her warmly.

"_Yes, I'm sure. _Go! You're late. I'll grab the check, just pay me back at school on Monday._" _I smiled and she smiled back appreciatively.

"Alright. Thanks Bella. You're a life saver!_" _Then with a wave and the tingle of the bell she was gone. I thought I heard her car pull away. I sipped my coffee, there was still a little left and I was in no rush to get home with Charlie being out as well.

When I was finished I paid for both our drinks and started my walk home, but only after a little window shopping. It was just starting to get dark as early evening set in, when I actually started toward my house, two small bags in my hand. One Christmas gift for Edward, and one for Charlie both taken care of. Now I just had Rene and the rest of the Cullens to shop for - and I knew that if I waited long enough and bought Alice's gift without thinking about it first there was a _small_ chance I could surprise her and she wouldn't see it coming.

I remember grinning at that thought as I walked right past the last shop and into the residential area of Forks. I zipped my jacket up farther; it was getting colder. And then it began to flurry, much to my amusement. I was in quite a good mood, that is until I reached the park.

It was dark and cold and I still had another couple blocks to go, and I heard the voices before I saw them. A group of guys; young, couldn't be much older than me - their voices coming from the park. Sure enough when the park come into view their were about three of them, laughing in a way you knew wasn't completely coherent. I saw the bottles at their feet, empty, and I smelt something I'd only smelled one other time in a girl's locker room back in Arizona - weed.

I tried not to breathe as I walked by, and my pace quickened automatically, but they seemed too far under the influence to notice me, that or it was just too dark. They looked up at the sound of my footsteps, but I don't think they saw me clearly. Then I stepped under that blasted street lamp.

They saw me.

I was just in a pair of jeans with a zippered sweatshirt - it wasn't even an attractive outfit. But apparently it was enough.

All I heard was one go, "Hey boys check out the lady!" and another went, "I think we should have a little fun."

_That's not good. _But I thought maybe they were too far gone to actually _do _anything. "Oi! Miss?!" Apparently not. They ran, caught up to me, suddenly there was one on either side of me and one right in front, blocking my path.

_Damnit. _

The one in front addressed me coolly, opening his arms as if in greeting. "Excuse us Miss but you look _awfully_ cold. Maybe you should come and have a drink with us." he was smirking, mocking me. I didn't like that glint in his eyes. The one to my left shuffled closer reaching for my arm. _Breathe Bella. _I thought trying to remain calm. _Talk your way out of this. _

"Sorry. But I have to get home, my father will be looking for me." A lie, but if it worked…

"Oh that's too bad…" He feigned looking disappointed, an one of the ones beside me laughed. The one in frnt of me then put that scary smile back on his face and continued slowly in a menacing voice. "…But unfortunately, I wasn't giving you a choice. Was just making it seem like I was." The other two snickered and I froze, feeling myself go pale.

"Grab her." He said to the goons, just as I tried bolting between them, attempting to sprint away. But before I'd taken three steps, two pairs of hands were on my arms, and one of them tripped me bringing me down to the ground.

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EPOV

"Nice one!" Jasper said proudly, wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulder. She'd just single-handedly killed a mountain lion twice the size of Emmett's in 3 seconds flat. It had taken Emmett nearly 12 to kill his. I should know; I held the stop-watch.

"Well, what's her time?!" Emmett called to me in a disgruntled voice. I chuckled as Alice winked smugly, "C'mon Em, you know it's better than yours! why even ask?" Everybody laughed at the look of anger and embarrassment on my older brother's face. "He's so jealous right now" Jasper whispered antagonizing into Alice's ear, knowing full well that everyone, including Emmett, could hear him. His eyes were locked on Emmett's jokingly and Alice giggled. Emmett scowled and stormed off and I heard his distinct thoughts about "_just a little bit of luck…"_

"You know it wasn't luck, Em. It was skill! You're just mad that the smallest one here, who happens to be a girl, beat you at your own game!" I called after him, and we all laughed again. He'd cool down eventually. "Alright. Enough." Carlisle said condolingly, but he was grinning too. I looked to Alice and was going to congratulate my little sister, but Jasper's thoughts distracted me.

All eyes were on Alice in an instant, even Emmett's. Her head lolled back and her eyes stared off into something that wasn't there in front of her. Jasper's arm was still protectively around her shoulders as he too stared at her face waiting patiently for news.

I looked into Alice's mind and watched her vision with her, in the disconnected way that she saw things - with no emotion. I saw three men about twenty, drinking booze and smoking pot and then a woman walked under a streetlamp and their decision had been made. _They wanted to… Their vision was of…_

The clearing came back into view and I stared at Alice with wide eyes. Fear was etched into her face too. For a second nothing happened, then Esme's voice asked gently, "Alice? Edward? What is it? What's going on?"

"Bella." I breathed in panic, then took off running as fast as I possibly could through the forest; toward Forks, toward her,

but knowing I would be too late.


	2. Chapter 2

_Yay! I'm really happy people resonded, and they were really good reviews too. :) Please keep reviewing - they make me happy. And thanks for reading. Now enjoy - Chapter two!_

BPOV

My knees crashed into the ground as one of the goons beside me tripped me. I was mentally cursing my clumsiness, as I was roughly pulled to my feet. My knees should have been screaming, I felt the blood dripping down my legs, but I took no notice; only feeling my heart pound in my ears.

"Get off of me!" I shouted, struggling against the two pairs of arms holding me in place. "My father will _kill_ you!" I threatened heatedly, although I was slightly more worried about my boyfriend's response.

The man in front only laughed. I glared at him, wishing I could growl like a vampire. Wishing I _was_ a vampire. Then I certainly would be able to defend myself, then they would be sorry.

"Back to the park." the man in charge motioned with his hand. Suddenly I was being forced to walk, the hands like pincers on my arms. My purse and the two shopping bags were still in the crook of my elbow, swinging slightly as they pulled me along. That was when the fear set in. With the realization that I couldn't get away.

"I'll scream." I warned, wondering if I should tell them or just start screaming. The nearest house was kind of far away, I hoped they would be able to hear me if I became loud enough, but didn't know if they would.

"Go right ahead." he started, and I automatically filled my lungs with air ready to unleash it in a mighty howl, "But then I might have to use this.". I felt all the air leave my lungs as I heard a click and my eyes became wide with panic. The man turned back to me, a switchblade he must have had in his pocket held tightly in his hand. He was smiling. The crony to my left chuckled once. The one to my right spoke thickly, "'ats a shame - I like it when they scream."

"Yea, well, she can still struggle if you like." The head one said fiendishly, watching my response for a source of amusement. I glared at him, my hands balled into fists.

"Uh oh." the one to my left said sarcastically, "I don't think she's happy…" The main one flashed a wide, ugly smile, "Don't worry honey, we'll make you happy enough." He patted my cheek and I turned trying to bite his hand. My teeth snapped together loudly, but he'd pulled his hand away too quick.

He wasn't smiling any more. "You little bitch!" He said and back-handed me across the face. My face snapped to the side, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of moaning in pain like I wanted to. I just brought it back to look at him, hate in my eyes. I knew I would have a black eye tomorrow - _if they let me see tomorrow_. That thought sobered me up a little bit and I began to shake.

"Don't worry baby," He said darkly with none of the original humor, "We'll take all the fight out of you."

"Take her to the slide, away from any lights."

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EPOV

I ran faster than I've ever run before, panic spurring me on. I must have been going hundreds of miles per hour, but I started over a hundred miles away. The memory of Alice's vision flashed through my mind again. Three men in a dark park, two of them holding down Bella. _My_ Bella. _My beautifully innocent, love of my life, Bella! _And the one in the middle was_…. _

I shuddered and growled loudly snapping my teeth in anger and fear. How could anyone do _that!_??! To _Bella?!? _In the vision… she'd been… screaming; crying. I roared. Emotions no creature, living or dead, should ever have to feel - tearing me apart. I struck my hand out in frustration as I passed by a tree at my inhuman speed. It broke clean in half and the top part went flying through the air like a pencil being thrown in a classroom. I just kept running, my anger and fear building with every step. Bella, _my Bella_. I winced and closed my eyes.

I'd _kill_ them, all of them, for this. I just hoped I wasn't too late, but I knew it was useless. The men had only just made their decision, and I was too _damn_ far away! I couldn't help her, I couldn't save her. _My Bella. _

I already wanted revenge. I wanted their blood more than I'd ever wanted anyone else's.

Even _my_ Bella's.


	3. Chapter 3

BPOV

I felt only a defeated numbness as they marched me across the black playground. It was weird and creepy. Ironic that a place of such happiness and laughter during the day can serve such dual dark purposes at night. A few of the rusty swings creaked eerily as we passed them, being pushed by a gust of wind. Strangely, it was that minute movement more than else anything so far, that gave away the surreal, horror movie-esque quality of my situation.

As the same wind that was striking the swings struck my face, I shuddered. I hadn't realized how freezing out it was before; my hands seemed to have gone numb, but whether in fear or frigidness I couldn't be sure. I was still shaking, due to the same possible causes.

They must have felt me shivering beneath them because the one to my right said maniacally, "Hey boys, I think she's cold. Maybe we oughta warm her up." He snickered as the one on my other side said just as happily, "Oh, that won't be a problem soon enough. We'll warm you up real good, little lady." He dragged his rough calloused fingers cross my face. If possible I went paler, and suddenly had the urge to be sick.

_Edward… Where are you? _

I don't think I've ever wanted to see Edward as much as I did right then. Where was my knight in shining armor?! I needed him, and for some reason he wasn't here beside me. If he were here he could protect me. If he were here…

But he wasn't. I knew deep inside he wouldn't come charging in to save me. Even if he did know what was happening, he would be too far away.

_You have to do this alone, Bella. _My stomach clenched and I couldn't help but be brought back to those few months when Edward had left, the only time I'd ever doubted him. The only time I'd ever felt truly alone. And now I was alone again - in my hour of need.

I took a few deep calming breaths. _Stop. _I told myself. _This isn't Edward's fault, and he hasn't abandoned you. Just stop. _

And we did; literally. We drew to a halt, me still tightly held between them as they came to the back of the playground, the farthest place from both the road and the nearby houses. I looked up and found myself next to a sleek silver slide, the dark clouds reflecting off of it strangely. Toward the front of the park there'd been a few lights , but it seemed the people who had put them in hadn't bothered to put any here at the back corner of my own personal, juvenile-themed hell.

"Well, boys…_on_ the slide - I think." the one with the knife said menacingly.

_What does he mean? _I thought to myself in confusion. _What's on the slide?_

I felt myself being turned around so that my back was to the slide. They backed me toward it until the back of my shins rested against its cool surface. I still had that numbness around me; like I couldn't control my movements at all - I was just some large clumsy hand puppet.

Then suddenly the goons pulled at my shoulders, pulling them sharply back and down. My feet swept out in front of me as I lost my balance and my back collided with the slide beneath me. I gasped in pain as my body hit metal with the weight of my entire self powering the fall. A loud snap resounded around the park that must have come from my cracking spine in the same manner that boys sometimes crack their knuckles in school.

_Oh. I'm on the slide. That's what he meant. _And for some reason that mundane, sarcastic thought struck another nerve of fear through my body.

_That's gonna be another bruise tomorrow_. _Great_. _Well, at least the numbness is gone now_. I thought bitterly as my back ached and tried to twist in pain.

The two pairs of arms that still held onto me began to drag me up the slide, until I was almost half-way up. Then they held me in place there, in an almost lying down position, but angled upward towards the leader who still held that knife in his hand. I felt oddly like a human sacrifice due to the position. I continued shivering.

He smiled evilly, I was still too numb to move as he leaned in toward me. The first thing he did was take off my shoes and cast them underneath the slide that was currently acting as my prison. I vaguely thought that was strange. _Why would he take off my shoes?_

Then he stepped up onto the horizontal bottom of the slide, facing me. I knew what was coming next and my eyes became wide. I wasn't numb anymore. I began to thrash against the arms holding me down - but I couldn't throw them off. So instead I tried desperately to bring my legs up, as if my knees in his way would be able to protect me. But every time I brought my feet up - my socks slid back down the slide because they had no traction against the cool surface.

_Oh. That's why. _

Then I felt fear as I've never felt before, and tears appeared in my eyes. I couldn't help them, the panic was overriding my system. I was so ashamed, ashamed to be crying - especially when they hadn't actually done anything yet. But that thought just made me sob harder. I knew rationally that when I'd faced James the situation was probably worse; after all these were only men and not blood-sucking, life-draining vampires. But facing James had been my choice. I didn't feel brave now like I had a little bit then.

"Aw. The little baby's crying." One of them cooed, I didn't look up through my shut, leaking eyes to see which one had spoken.

"That's too bad", the voice directly in front of me now cooed too. I officially had a new voice to match James's and Victoria's in my nightmares - I knew that moment would haunt me forever, no matter how this story ended. This moment would forever mark the time of horrible terror, and from now on every time I felt fear I would think of this voice. He continued in that same nightmarish tone, that made my heart want to beat out of my chest,

"We'll give her something she can really cry about."

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APOV

They'd been laughing. The three men. _Laughing_, as she cried. My best friend. Poor Bella. And then Edward's face when I'd looked at him. As he said her name… I began dry-sobbing into Jasper's waiting shoulder. He rocked me gently as I cried. Everyone was staring, I knew that, but I didn't care. I just let Jasper rock me gently back and forth.

"Alice, love? What happened?" He whispered into my hair as he began rubbing my back with his hand. He sounded positively panicked and I could only imagine what this must be like for him - having to feel everyone's emotions. Mine and Edward's panic and repulsion, Edward's pain, the rest of the family's fear, and everyone else's troubling back-burner emotions.

"It's Bella…" I said finally, after a long pause. I couldn't raise my head to look at them, I kept my face firmly in Jasper's shoulder - cowering, eyes tightly shut. They all waited, no one realizing that they were holding their breathe.

"She's in trouble." My voice cracked slightly (which is very hard to manage when one has a vampire's voice)

"She's about to be raped."

I finally looked up and saw what must have been everyone's emotions - collected in my love's tortured eyes. I began to dry-sob into his shoulder once more, him comforting me again.

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_Sorry I was away last night otherwise I'd have updated sooner. I have to admit I really like this story, it's getting very interesting, especially for something __I__'ve written. Please continue to review. Reviews = love = happy writer = faster chapters go up. :__J__. Seriously, please review because I'm loving the ones I've gotten so far and the next chapter's already written. *hint hint* :P Hope you're enjoying it! _

_-FA :__J_


	4. Chapter 4

JPOV

I felt my sobbing wife in my arms and flinched inwardly at the cascade of emotions around me. I held her close, more to comfort myself then to comfort her - but it worked both ways. I always felt like a small child when this happened. Like a little boy who watched his parents screaming at each other as he clutches a teddy bear to his chest in the hope that the small soft being could make the bad feelings all go away. That's what my Alice was to me - my safety blanket. And sure enough I clutched her to me desperately as everyone's emotions attacked me at once. It honestly scared me whenever that happened - so I just hugged her, closed my eyes and waited for it to pass.

Sure enough, after a few moments the shock of the bombardment went away and I began to examine each person's emotions individually.

Alice felt tortured. Positively and empathetically horrified by what she'd seen, and petrified for both Bella and Edward's sakes. She also felt guilty, probably for making me feel her pain; but she knew that I'd rather bear all her pain for her, than make her feel any of it alone. I hugged her tighter, truly trying to comfort her now and knowing my eyes must look as tortured as hers. I hated when she was in pain.

So this explained Edward's fear, and anger. Such anger as only having Bella in danger can bring out in him. He'd been livid, but so scared. And that surge of protectiveness - although that was always inside Edward, just underneath the surface.

Carlisle was absolutely and utterly repulsed. It made no sense to him because the very notion of the act went against every moral of his being. That's all I felt from him. Repulsion.

Esme was worry. There was repulsion in her too, but much more apprehension than anything else. I didn't need Edward's gift to know that she was hoping that Bella was alright. She already saw Bella as another sort of adopted daughter (as she would be eventually - at least was Esme's, and most of the family's, hope).

Emmett was anger. It was much like Edward's emotion, although less complex. Emmett saw Bella as a little sister and he was absolutely furious that someone would ever try something like that with her.

And then I felt Rosalie. Once I pinpointed her emotions I had to hold Alice to me dearly again because her emotions were so strong. It was surprising. It didn't make sense to me; for Rosalie to feel this way. She was absolutely petrified, horrified, and truly empathetic. Once I focused on her, her entire being seemed to scream at me with every complex emotion under the sun, making me cower and wince. I opened my eyes and looked at her with panic and wonder. I thought she didn't like Bella. This didn't make sense.

"Rose?" I gasped, barely able to say her name under the force of her still screaming negative aura, "What - ?" I couldn't even force the rest of the words out - I just left the question hanging in the air.

Everyone's head snapped to her in confusion, and curiosity suddenly entered the mix of emotions swirling around me. However Carlisle and Esme seemed to understand. A dark pang of understanding and, especially in Esme's case, pure empathetic compassion seemed to leech out toward their adopted daughter. Meanwhile Emmett's thoughts suddenly turned to worry on a much more personal level. "Rose?" He asked gently, following my pained gaze to her face and back again. But she was good at masking her emotions. She didn't look any more distressed then the others - but she couldn't fool me.

"C'mon." she said harshly after a second, growling and ignoring all our questioning stares. "We have to help Bella! …Come. On!!" And then she pried herself out of Emmett's caressing arms and sprinted off into the trees - following Edward's scent.

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EPOV

_I must be at least a quarter of the way back to Forks by now. _I thought harshly, my feet still moving stubbornly. I need to get to Bella. _my Bella. _I wondered vaguely how much time had passed. Then I noticed that I was still clutching something hard and round in my left hand. _The stopwatch_. I'd forgotten I was still holding it as I'd run, feeling only my heightened emotions and determination. Without stopping I looked down at it, flipping it over so the face was toward me.

Twenty-five minutes and 14 seconds. _Twenty-five _whole minutes had passed while I'd run! Suddenly an anguish enveloped me, blocking out the fierce anger. I felt fear. Then a thought occurred to me.

_What if they kill her? I won't get there in time. _

The power of this thought seemed almost like a punch to the gut. Pure, unrestrained fear pieced my body and my knees gave out from under me, bringing me crashing to the ground. Every muscle and bone seemed to buckle in my body as I gasped for unneeded air, holding my chest in an effort to remain in one piece.

_If she's died… _I howled in pain as my very soul seemed to have caught fire under the possibility of my angel not only being forced into such pain; but being taken from me completely. I continued howling, and some dark part in the back of mind saw the parallelism between my current position and how I sat every night after I'd left her side the first time.

_Bella needs you! _I forced myself to uncurl and onto my weak knees. _Even if its hopeless; she needs you. You have to try and get there. Even if she's …dead. _

I was back on my feet again and took a sharp intake of air as I thought this, but then I determinedly put one foot in front of another and found myself running again. Trying to stay numb and trying not to think. I looked at the stop watch again.

_Twenty-five minutes and fifty-seven seconds… _

Then, without warning, a screeching ring filled to otherwise quiet forest I was running through. It took me a few seconds to realize that the sound was my own cell phone, also vibrating against my hip. I barely registered the feeling against my skin and had the phone to my lips in an instant. I refused to let the emotions bring me down again.

"What, Alice?" I growled shortly, fear making my voice much harsher then it should have been.

She ignored my temper and spoke gently, condolingly, "Edward…" the tone of her voice was wary and as much as I was afraid of what she would say, I just wanted her to spit it out already. After a second or two of agony she continued, "I had another vision."

I held my breathe and I'm fairly certain I hit a tree as I wasn't watching where I was going and there was a large cracking sound. I continued onward, waiting for her news.

"When you get back, she's going to be home, in Charlie's house. I saw you walking in her front door, as she cowered nearby. And Edward…?"

Damn vampire emotions. I felt every emotion that was possible at her words. Relief that she was alive, to pain by even the _thought _of her cowering in fear, to guilt for having my first emotion be relief. "What?!" I screamed at Alice hoping she would forgive me later.

"… Take your shirt off when you get there …to give to her. She's not wearing one." My eyes grew wide and I suddenly had the urge to be sick. _My Bella. Those monsters! _I hung up without another word and kept running, using all of my self- control not to throw the cell phone against the nearest tree.

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_I was gonna cut off this chapter at "Twenty-five minutes and fifty-seven seconds." but then I thought I'd be nice and give you a really long chapter. You're welcome. :P _

_I just love writing Jasper POV, he's probably my favorite character, after Edward of course, who I sometimes dislike because he makes me lose all hope in men. But anyways, I love Jasper POV and especially writing about his gift. I didn't know if he, Alice, or Emmett would know about Rosalie's past, so I just wrote it as if they didn't. Oh and I hope Edward didn't have so much angst he was OOC, but I think that's how he would act in this situation. _

_Please review and thanks for reading. :__J_

_-FA_


	5. Chapter 5

_Just a quick a/n: caution, this chapter gets pretty graphic, just a heads up. Beware. (-FA) _

BPOV

I continued to thrash even after I realized that fighting back was useless. I'd stopped actually forming real thoughts, that is worded rational thoughts, at about this point. All that went through my mind were white flashes of terror and fear. I felt my head swinging from side to side, as if the universal sign for "no" would make them stop. The man in front of me was laughing, which really made my skin crawl. I still felt the tears running down my face, but I no longer acknowledged that I was crying.

"Time for a little fun, I think." he said evilly and he leaned forward bringing himself on top of me. I froze in revulsion as he kissed my cheek, and then, disgustingly, he brought his lips on mine. I gasped indignantly as my eyes grew wide. His mouth tasted of beer and weed and the scent of him was intoxicating. I froze in a silent protest and in udder revulsion. After a second the taste got the better of me and I gagged once into his mouth.

He pulled away, laughing still. "Hell, if she's gagging just at the taste of my mouth, I can't wait till we give her a taste of this." He patted his groin. I couldn't help but notice that his jeans seemed to be stretched, he was hard.

I was still shaking, but I'd stopped struggling as I tried to make my brain turn back on.

Then I had no choice but to lay there helpless, as his grimy fingers began lifting the bottom of my shirt. I could only see the skin of my stomach, right below my bellybutton when he pulled his hand away. Then I felt the cool metal of his blade press against my stomach. I started hyperventilating and my voice seemed to turn on at least somewhat as I was murmuring in fear.

"Don't worry." He said in what was obviously a fake, comforting voice. "You take this like a good girl, and don't give us no trouble, and this won't have to be used on anything but your shirt." Then a great tearing sound resounded around the park as my shirt was ripped in two by his blade. He brought it up from my bellybutton to between my breasts and finally cut the garment clean in half near my collar.

I closed my eyes and bit my lip, which was quivering. Without looking I felt as he cut my sleeves too, so he could take the shirt all the way off without one of the goons having to let go. Now I was laying on the slide with only my bra on to shield me from the cold. When I opened my eyes again I watched as my tattered shirt was carried away by the frigid air around me.

"You asshole." I whispered, finally bringing my eyes to glare up at my captor. I vaguely heard the other two guffawing stupidly. I felt more hatred for these men than I had for anyone else on the face of the planet.

"Oh, c'mon." He joked, "Don't be like that." He began caressing my cheek with his hand, then he leaned foreword again and whispered into my ear, "Besides…You're gonna like this too." I felt his hot, putrid breathe against my neck and then he bit down on my ear, drawing a terrified squeak from the depths of my throat.

The next thing I knew I felt a hand around my breast, massaging it; he was teasing me. I felt a flush go up my face as my body started to respond to the hand groping what no one had ever seen (never mind touched) since I'd been in diapers. I couldn't help but think that this might be enjoyable were it Edward giving the massage. Then I felt my face get even hotter as shame from that thought caught up with me.

"Yea. You like that don't ya…?" He cooed sickeningly. I shook my head no stubbornly.

"No? Well than how bout this?" Without warning his hand changed course and went down my pants. I gasped as his fingers began thrumming over my most private part through my underwear. "Now I know you like that." He said smugly, smirking, and I was too distracted to respond.

I wanted out. _Now._

I knew my eyes were wide and my breathe was labored. But the lead guy was distracted for a moment as he began to pull down his fly. The echo of the zipper rung in my ear sending another chill of panic down my frame. I closed my eyes, trying to collect my thoughts as adrenaline pumped in my ears.

_A plan. A plan. C'mon Bella think! You need to get out of this! _

I forced my eyes open, refusing to let myself go numb and miss something I could use to escape. That's when I noticed the goon on my right.

Following his leader, he too was trying to open his zipper. I hadn't struggled in a while so I guess he felt he only needed one hand. Once he got himself out of the confines of his pants he began to stroke himself which sent a whole new wave of repulsion through me. But that meant there was only one hand around my right wrist.

I lay perfectly still, breathing deep and calculating a plan in a matter of seconds. I hadn't realized either until now, that my bags were still draped in the crook of my left arm - my purse included. I took one last breathe and opened my eyes.

The leader was leaning over me again, this time his - package - was out as he reached out to fondle me again. I lay perfectly still until he was positioned right above where my feet were, still in socks.

With a loud cry and all the strength in my body I kicked straight up into his groin. And at exactly the same moment I wrenched my arm out of that stupid crony's one hand on my right-hand side. Both goons were in shock as their leader howled in pain and fell to the ground cursing and holding himself in his hands. Without waiting for a reaction I swiveled around to my left. With my newly freed right hand I formed a fist and punched that man's ugly face with all my might. With a similar howl of pain he stumbled backward, loosening his grip.

The one on my right finally seemed to realize what was going on and lurched toward me as I hopped off of the slide. But I was already in my purse. Just as he put his arms around me to catch me I turned toward him - Charlie's bottle of mace held in my hand. Without waiting I fired into his face, sending him screaming to the ground - his eyes tearing.

Next thing I knew I was running, faster than I ever have before, away from the park, away from them. But I heard a strangled cry of, "After her!" from the leader and the sound of a single pair of feet running after me. With a look over my shoulder I saw the one who'd been on my left, chasing me with vigor. The leader and the one I'd pepper-sprayed were still writhing on the ground in pain. But with a renewed panic I realized that goon number 2 was catching up…

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_Yay, Bella! But she's not out of the woods yet, will she escape? You'll have to wait and see to find out. Ah, I love building suspense. :P I'm not sure if I like the actual fight sequence at the end here. It went exactly as I'd pictured it in my head, but I think maybe I could have dragged it out longer - articulated it better. I don't know, whatever. Please keep reviewing, I'm so happy I'm getting so many great reviews. :D _

_-FA _


	6. Chapter 6

BPOV

It was kind of funny how aware of everything I stayed while I was running. I heard the swings still creaking, and I felt the cold air still on my face and now, my exposed chest. I saw every detail of the park as it streaked by in what should have been a blur. And I was also very aware of the steady "thump, thump, thump" of the ominous and heavy-sounding footsteps that became louder every second as my pursuer came closer and closer behind me.

It was almost like every second since I'd stepped under that damn street lamp my life had started moving in slow motion. And yet ever since I'd kicked my leg out between the legs of my lead captor, everything had suddenly sped up into an equally surreal quality; like someone had gone from slow-motion to fast forward on a TV.

I had just passed the swing-set and was coming up to a sandbox on my left when I decided to take a look behind me. I let out an audible gasp as I saw the glint of a steel blade reflecting back the moonlight. Either goon number two had taken the knife from his leader before coming in pursuit, or he'd had one of his own. He was also only a few short paces behind me. I turned my head forward again, my hair whipping into my eyes and face, ready to run as fast as I could, which is what I thought I'd been doing.

I lifted my hand up to move the hair out of my eyes when I felt my foot get caught on the corner of something very hard. With a strong sense of foreboding I crashed to the ground; the sandbox a little closer to my left then I'd originally thought. For the second time that night my knees came crashing to the earth and a horrible sense of hopelessness gripped me along with the pain of the impact. But then I felt a different unexpected pain.

I was barely able to register what had happened but a quick look gave me the gist of the story. Goon number two had been closer then I'd thought and my ungraceful tumble had caught him off guard as much as it had me. The pain I'd felt was him tripping over _me_ and crashing to the ground almost on top of me with a lot more force and weight behind his fall.

He groaned in pain, momentarily stopped. He'd landed a little bit to my left, but his right arm was extended in my direction - he must have been trying to grab me before I'd unintentionally brought him down. Unfortunately though it was his right hand that held the knife in it, and there was a sharp pain in my left arm. I winced inwardly as I felt the blood steadily seeping out of my arm. _Maybe he wasn't trying to grab me after all. _I went pale, but refused to give up yet.

With a mighty howl I jumped to my feet, pure adrenaline numbing out most of the pain. My pursuer was still on the ground so I took my chance to kick him as hard as I could in the side. A few choice curses escaped his lips. But just as he was starting to try to get up, I was ready. Pepper-spray still in hand I fired just as he got on his knees. He screeched so loud it hurt my ears.

I glanced back into the back corner of the park. There was still one figure on the ground apparently writhing and clutching his head. But the one nearest the slide, the leader, I was sure of it, was just starting to bring himself to his feet. I didn't even give him a moment. I bolted, running straight for the exit of the park and the houses nearby. I prayed that I was far enough away.

I made it to the edge of the park and turned right, straight into the suburban area. I sprinted down the first street and made the first turn I came across, a left one onto a similar looking street. Then I just zigzagged my way through the maze of roads, making it nearly impossible for anyone attempting to follow me. But I didn't hear that ominous "thump, thump" anymore… I must have gotten away.

With this realization I began to slow down to a jog, still looking over my shoulders at frequent intervals, but no dark figures seemed to be following me at the moment. I let out a shaky breathe of relief.

As the adrenaline began to wane along with the danger, the physical pain began to kick in. I looked down at my arm and saw that most of my forearm was dripping blood coming from a four inch gash almost directly between my elbow and my wrist. Goon number two must have sliced me as he fell. I had to look away, always hating the sight of blood. I wanted to see if it was deep but even that brief look had made me quite a bit queasy.

I also began to feel my knees and my back which were now screaming in pain I hadn't acknowledged earlier. But then as I looked down to my still shoeless feet I noticed something else. I'd forgotten that I was still shirtless. Instinctively I brought my arms up to cover my chest and I let a sob escape my lips. Deftly I raised a shaky hand to my cheek and realized that I hadn't actually stopped crying, which was a shock as I hadn't realized I had been all that time. An absolutely awful embarrassment twisted in my stomach at the possibility of someone finding me outside shirtless at this time of the night.

Somewhere in the rational part of my brain I knew the smart thing to do would be to go to the closest house, beg for a shirt and to use their phone to call the police, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. I just couldn't. My cheeks got hot at the very thought of showing up on some stranger's doorstep in the state I was in. And then there was also the (probably) unfounded fear. What if the person I went to was anything like these men? And suddenly a shirtless, helpless, already fragile teenage girl had been presented to him like a gift on his front stoop. I shivered and sobbed just once, again, my breathe appearing before me a white fog in the still falling snow.

No, I would get back to Charlie's house and _now_. A quick look at the street sign told me that my aimless, unguided running had brought me within one block of my road anyway. I started running again.

I finally reached Charlie's house and climbed up the stairs on quaking knees. I lifted the mat to get the key and was barely able to make my hands stop shaking enough to unlock the door. Once in I dropped the key on the coffee table and immediately double-locked the door, even turning the scarcely used deadbolt in my fear.

I knew I should go upstairs to my room, or the bathroom to clean myself up, but something told me to go look at the time first. So I walked briefly over to the kitchen and in the doorway looked at the round clock on the wall.

12:03.

Charlie had agreed to take the night-shift so he wouldn't be home until some time after 4 A.M. And Edward wouldn't be home until at least tomorrow.

And that's when it hit me. What had almost happened. What had started happening to some degree. I clasped my arms together around my still bare chest and let my knees give way, allowing me to fall (more controlled and less painfully than the last few times), to the floor. Then I just let the sobs rack my body as I let all my emotions loose and cried for God only knows how long. It's not like anyone was coming home anyway.

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_Yay Bella! Whoo! Ok, so I knew from the very beginning that I didn't want to have Bella raped, but it's still a pretty scary expierience she went through. I kinda wanted to make a point that, even though she really is only human, she's not totally helpless. And she can be quite strong when she needs to be, even if she needs to have a good cry afterward... Alrighty, well I hope I wrote that chapter well, and just a heads up - next chap is when Edward comes home. (whoo!) So please review and keep reading! (Have I mentioned that I love all of my readers, especially the frequent reviewers? Because I do! :D ). _

_-FA_


	7. Chapter 7

EPOV

I stopped seeing anything as I ran, everything was a blur. All I saw before me was Bella, and the dreaded moment of what I would find when I finally got home. Finally I passed a landmark I actually focused on. I hadn't even realized I'd been running beside a road, but suddenly I saw a big sign that read "Welcome to Forks". My stomach clenched up into a ball painfully. I finally looked down at the stopwatch again. _Fifty-four minutes and eleven seconds. _

I'd like to say 'worst hour of my life' but that thought brought back repercussions from the time when I'd thought Bella had died. I honestly wasn't sure if this anticipation of finding her broken was equal to the pain I'd felt then. However I do think I can say it was the most fearful hour of my life.

Before I'd even finished pondering this in my mind I found myself before Bella's house. It nearly took me by surprise to be standing there. I stopped, coming to a dead halt on the road. I saw a pair of footprints on the newly fallen snow. _How long had it been snowing? _I examined them. I might not be the best tracker, but I could tell she'd been running, and that these tracks were only put here a few minutes before.

Then I smelt it. Her blood. I looked again and saw a few droplets here and there every few feet within the tracks. The monster part of me, deep in my mind that I tried to repress, smelt the blood and noticed how absolutely delicious and tantalizing it smelled. But I barely noticed that disgusting instinctive response in me as my eyes became wide and I felt sick with worry. I was on her doorstep without realizing I'd moved.

In a frenzy to get to Bella I threw the mat up looking for the key that should have been there, but it was not. So instead I just flicked the door with the back of my hand, a little bit to the left of the knob. The hard cold surface dented in as if I'd punched it with the force of a freight train. Instantly the dent put both locks at an angle, freeing them from the door. Then with more force than I'd meant to use in my anticipation and fear I nudged the door open. It banged loudly against the wall.

And that's how I found her. Curled up in a ball on the floor, about ten feet from the front door in the doorway to the kitchen. She jumped and I heard a scared squeak when I'd slammed the door open in my stupid haste.

_Damnit Edward! Scare her more why don't you!?_ I screamed in my mind.

She was holding her face in her hands and refused to look up, probably out of fear. Her whole body was shaking horribly.

"Bella?" I said, my voice cracking. She looked up. I stopped breathing as a wave of pity and gut-wrenching guilt washed over me along with a hatred for anyone who would do this to my angel. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. I stumbled forward, wanting nothing more than to take her in my arms forever and murmur into her ear that everything was ok. No one would ever hurt her again.

"Edward." she cried, and shifted her arms so that they were crossed over her chest, which I only just realized was bare, except for her bra. In my hurry to get inside I'd forgotten Alice's words. Her warning; advice. My stomach twisted again in revulsion and I wanted to kick myself for being an idiot even further.

I couldn't deny that the teenage part of me had wanted to see Bella topless - but not like _this_! She looked so broken and abused. Her expression looked positively tortured, and afraid. _Where was I? Where had I been! I should have been able to protect her!! _I lurched toward her again, drawn forward as if by a magnet.

"Wait." She told me breathlessly, her eyes so full of fear it hurt to look into them, and yet I couldn't tear my eyes away.

All she needed to say was that one word and I drew to a halt my arms out in front of me like I'd done after killing Victoria. _Did she think I was a monster, finally? But only because she categorized me with men like them? _

I couldn't be angry with her if that's what she thought. It was understandable, but it made me want to cry. Someone had broken her and she was afraid of me. It was my fault, I should have been here to save her. I waited, holding my breathe out of fear of what she was going to say next. _Would she send me away? Would I be able to leave?_

"The blood." She said, explaining, turning her left arm toward me and then crumpled into more tears, turning her face away. She pulled her arm back to cover her chest again, her face red with what must have been shame. Her arm had a long cut on it and her perfumed blood poured out of it steadily, staining her skin from where it was all the way down to her elbow. Another flash of anger welled up within me at the sight of her with such an injury. _Who could do this to her?!? _But just as quickly as the anger welled up, it faded away again. Bella didn't need me to be angry right now, so instead I thought about her words.

Comprehension dawned on me and my eyes went wider than before as I felt myself go pale.

"Oh, God Bella. No. Nothing could make me even _think_ about your blood right now!" I sank to my knees, the realization of her concern bringing me down. She didn't want _me_ to be uncomfortable, that's why she told me to wait! Her selflessness brought on a whole new multitude of emotions. It was times like these that I realized why I loved her so completely, but it absolutely sickened me to know that in what must have been the worst experience of her life, she was only concerned with me. Guilt gnawed at my stomach like a ravenous parasite, self-hatred too. _Why did she think I deserved an angel like her?_

With one movement I pulled my shirt off and shuffled on my knees toward her until I was beside her on the floor. Looking away I handed the garment to her and she took it with shaking hands. I heard a gasp of pain as she pulled it on and winced, wishing it could be me in pain and not her. When I was sure she was fully clothed again I turned back to her with concerned eyes.

"Oh Edward!" she cried and threw herself at me, and began sobbing into my bare shoulder. I just held her soothingly and murmured shushes into her hair. I dragged my arm up and down her back comfortingly and kissed the top of her head as she cried. I wished more than anything that I could cry too as I whispered to her that everything was going to be alright. I let a few dry sobs escape from me as I held her close and felt her shaking beneath my arms.

My throat _was_ aching persistently at this point. But I didn't acknowledge it at all. Her blood did smell good. But this was Bella. _My Bella_. And I'd meant it when I'd said that no one would ever hurt her again, least of all me. I didn't know how long we sat there together and I let her cry, but I'd dropped the stopwatch on the floor when I'd fallen to my knees, and it didn't matter anyway. Only Bella mattered now. And she's all that would matter to me for the rest of eternity.

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_Sorry for the delay. My mom has been cleaning out the computer room… Ugh. Whenever she starts cleaning any room you want to stay as far away as possible or risk facing her wrath. There's an echo from my typing because the room's so empty now. *shivers* Anyway, here's the much anticipated chapter where Edward comes home! And yes, he still doesn't know she got away before anything happened. By the way, I'm very excited because this chapter officially gave me more reviews than I've gotten for any other story. (yay!) And I'm so happy that so many people are reading! (Yay, confidence in writing skills whoo!) _

_P.S. Thank you reviewers as always. And a special thanks to Dark Starfish. I'm honored to be your first review, and I really appreciate both the praise and the honesty. Thanks! Oh and to Tulipp, of course I hadn't meant she would be in the wrong if she hadn't gotten away, but I wanted to make it known that it was due to both skill and luck that she escaped. She's not helpless on her own, but she needed an opportunity to present itself. Thanks for your great reviews too. (that one really made me think). And for everyone else who has reviewed, thanks a bunch, I love you all and read everyone's reviews at least like three times a day. Lol. _

_ (wow, that's got to be the longest a/n I've ever written, sorry for the babbling). :__J_

_-FA_


	8. Chapter 8

_BPOV_

_When I heard the door slam open my heart stopped, then sped forward at a hundred miles per second. __They'd found me! They'd tracked me down! _But I didn't have the strength to look at my attackers, who would surely sweep over me any second, letting the nightmare resume where it had left off. I just curled myself into an even tighter ball and kept my eyes shut, sobbing quietly. Maybe they would just go away, or maybe they weren't really here at all.

And then I heard _his_ voice, his magically velvet voice, saying my name. "Bella?"

And only then did I look up. Finally my knight in shining armor. Better late than never. And then I realized what I must look like, cowering here on the floor. And shirtless still. I immediately covered myself with my arms, out of reflex, and I felt a blush creep it's way up my face. "Edward." I said simply, hearing my voice portray all the emotions I'd felt over the last few hours. All my sadness and anger, my fear, terror, bitter embarrassment, along with a newfound relief that he was here, and an unacknowledged curiosity. After all he wasn't supposed to be here till tomorrow. He lurched toward me and I flinched, hating myself for doing it. In my mind I screamed at myself. _This is Edward! You will never be afraid of him. _

"Wait." I said, knowing there was some logical reason I didn't want him near me, but not quite remembering what it was. Then I felt the warmth of blood trickling down my arm. Oh yeah, that was it. I don't remember when I'd decided not to bleed in front of him again. I just hated to cause him pain, so I told myself I would go through any bloody matters alone; shield him from the temptation he so hated. "The blood."

I couldn't help but wince as I turned my injured arm toward him. I expected him to nod and walk away, leaving me to clean up and then come back so he could hold me like I so desperately wanted him to now. I turned my face away, not wanting to see him leave. I wanted to be strong, but I let out a few sobs despite my hardest efforts. I was so mortified I _almost_ wanted him to leave, but as soon as that thought went through my mind I knew it wasn't true. I always wanted Edward to stay.

But I didn't hear him turn and walk away. Instead I heard a soft thump. I looked up, not turning my head to meet the tortured gaze I could see in his eyes. He didn't know I was looking at him from through my hands, but I saw the torment in his features as he brought his hands up and through his hair. "Oh, God Bella. No. Nothing could make me even _think_ about your blood right now!" He sounded hurt, that I would think that, and he started shuffling towards me on his knees, apparently lacking the strength to get back up. That or he just wanted to stay on my level. Guilt flitted into my emotions with the irony that I'd hurt him by trying not to hurt him.

At this point I was sure I was going to explode due to all the emotions tearing me up inside. Surely, it must be impossible for one person to feel so much at one time.

Like a true gentleman, Edward whisked off his shirt and offered it to me, without looking so I could put it on in privacy. A surge of love flared up at that, he was so understanding. I pulled the shirt on over my head and let out a soft hiss as the fabric dragged across my injured arm. I saw him wince in empathy and felt my stomach churn again in guilt.

He brought his gaze to meet mine when he was sure I had the shirt in place. His golden eyes were so full of sorrow and empathy; love too. All my self-control might as well have been cast out the window the moment I saw those eyes I loved so much. "Oh Edward!" I cried flying into his arms, which were already close to mine. Then I just broke down, sobbing into his waiting shoulder. He patiently rubbed my back and murmured things like, "Shh.. It's alright. I've got you now. Everything will be alright." and occasionally he dry-sobbed with me. I knew he hated not being able to cry right now, but I was crying enough for the two of us. He began rocking us gently, and I have no idea how long this went on, but eventually I began to calm down. Or at least, I became unable to downright sob anymore.

I was shaking like a leaf, and I was colder than I was in the park, curled up toward Edward's cool touch, but I didn't care. Even after I stopped crying I just sat there and let him hold me, still rocking us gently as my breathing returned to normal.

"Bella, love?" Edward asked quietly, after a very long time. I didn't respond, I didn't think I had a voice anymore anyway. He continued tentatively, "I have to take you to Carlisle now. He needs to check you over… see your arm…" I still didn't say anything, but I nodded into his chest. I was suddenly exhausted, and totally worn out.

"Everything will be alright." he whispered to me again as he wiped the tears away from one side of my face with his thumb. Then he stood up, holding me bridal-style in his arms. He kissed my forehead then started for the front door.

"Wait… Charlie." I said, leaving my eyes closed in my weariness. My voice did sound very hoarse and scratchy. Edward nodded. "I'll leave a note." He said and walked instead over to a table.

I opened my eyes and laced my hands around his neck, so he could hold me with his one hand and still write a note. I heard the scribble of the pen on paper, and then both his arms were supporting me again. He walked over to the door and I think he flicked it; I heard a metallic dent, he must be fixing it from when he came before.

And then we were running again. I closed my eyes feeling the cool air whip my hair back, probably into his face. I screwed my face up against the cold, and a flashback of a few hours ago caused me to hold onto Edward tighter, he didn't seem to mind.

Within seconds he was slowing down to human speed again and I opened my eyes. Sure enough, the glow from lights on inside his glass house filled the darkness of the surrounding forest we were in.

Edward gallantly walked up the steps still holding me in his arms, but by the time we reached the front stoop the door opened before us.

"Alice saw you coming." Carlisle explained holding the door open as Edward walked past him and into the warm interior of the house. "How's she doing?" he asked, shutting the door.

"She'll be alright." Edward said, giving me a meaningful look. I hoped my eyes portrayed the thank-you I couldn't bring myself to say. He looked back up to Carlisle. "Where should I put her down?"

"C'mon. Upstairs." He beckoned with his hand and both walked, a little too fast for human speed, up the stairs and to the room Carlisle had specially prepared for medical occurrences.

"Bella!" Alice cried, jumping up from her chair a few seconds before we'd entered the room. Esme was across the room preparing some sort of medical pack for Carlisle, "We've been so worried." she said, immediately turning to Bella and crossing the room to put a hand on my right arm.

Edward placed me on the medical table, sitting up. The cool metal made me visibly antsy, and I knew everyone had felt my heart rate pick up. Edward was immediately holding my hand lovingly, trying to calm me down. "Bella, I'm going to have to see your arm." Carlisle said gently reaching out for my hand. I gave it to him silently and he turned it over to show the bloody wound.

Both Alice and Esme stopped breathing. Esme murmured a very quiet, "Oh my." that I almost wasn't able to hear. I looked over at them. I know it sounds stupid, but until they'd stopped breathing I'd almost forgotten that they were vampires.

"You can leave." I said to them in that same hoarse voice from all the crying I'd done, I wanted to give off the air that I really didn't mind, but my voice sounded raspy enough without me trying to add emotion to it. "I won't be insulted… Really." And it was true. I didn't want them hurting themselves for me. Esme just nodded and left with a look of apology in my direction. Alice bit her lip and looked genuinely distressed.

"Go find Jasper." I told her, "I'll see you when _this_ is done." I gestured with my right hand to my left. I knew Jasper was probably either outside, or in some other vicinity inside the house, having been warned by Alice that there would be blood. I didn't know where Rosalie and Emmett were, probably just giving me privacy.

"I'm sorry." Alice said honestly. I shook my head, "don't be. I'll see you…in a few." and then she was gone too.

Then I looked at Edward. He was breathing normally, but I knew it probably hurt. "You can go too, if you want." I whispered. I didn't let him know that I really wanted him to stay. "Bella love, I never want to leave your side again… I'm fine. Really." He stroked my cheek with his hand and I smiled the tiniest bit.

"Are you ready?" Carlisle said a needle in his hand a few feet from my bad arm. I held Edward's hand with my right one and closed my eyes. "Mmhhmm." I murmured through closed lips and braced myself for the pain. I felt the needle go in, but it didn't hurt that much. Then after a few minutes of "letting it kick in" he began to clean the wound. When he started stitching Edward squeezed my hand and said, "Hey, look at me…only me, you don't have to pay attention to Carlisle at all." And I did, I focused on him and he helped me stay calm through it all.

I hadn't even realized Carlisle had finished until I saw him throwing something out across the room. Only then did I pry my eyes from Edward's and look down at my arm. There was a long, now closed up slit down my arm. The skin all around was the color of iodine and I could see each stitch perfectly. I felt myself get dizzy for a second as a wave of nausea passed over me, but I resisted the urge to be sick.

"Are there any other injuries like this?" Carlisle asked still using his gentle doctor's voice. I thought about it. Some bruises here and there, but nothing needing stitches I didn't think. "Well, I scraped my knees a few times" I said, "but nothing greater than that."

He came back over and gently lifted my pant legs to reveal the now purple and blue joints underneath. Both were covered in dried blood and had small bits of gravel embedded into them. He cleaned both of them with something out of a brown bottle that I recognized as hydrogen peroxide. I expected it to sting like alcohol, but in fact turned out to be much more painless. Then he gently put one large Band-Aid on each one and lowered each pant leg back down.

All of this was done in silence, but I was too wound up to talk anyway. I appreciated the quiet. Now that I was in the warm Cullen house, with Edward holding my hand, all stitched up and bandaged, I have to say I felt a whole lot better. I still hated sitting on that stupid metal table though. This thought sent a chill up my spine.

"Bella?" Carlisle said tentatively, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn he looked scared. "Yes?" I answered, just as nervously, having him uneasy was not doing good things for my already frazzled nerves.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a few tests, for diseases and such… It's standard procedure after a…well, …after a rape." He said the words somberly and apologetically, as if he didn't want to remind me of my experience tonight.

I felt all the color drain out of my face as I went into shock. _They thought I'd been… Tests!… He thought they'd… They must all think that I was… _I sat in a frozen silence and slowly began to hyperventilate. Edward was massaging my hand and he may have been murmuring something to my quietly, but I wasn't paying attention. The shock of his statement had sent me into a daze and I felt myself get dizzy for a few seconds again.

"Edward, I know you don't want to… but for the sake of her privacy I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

I barely registered what was being said as Edward turned angrily to his father issuing his protests.

I finally snapped out of it and cut Edward off half-way through his ranting.

"Carlisle, I'll close my eyes or stand facing the wall or something, I'll not leave her! I'd -"

"I WASN'T raped!" I practically shouted, my eyes wide at the assumption. I was hyperventilating still. _They thought… They thought… _

I suppose it shouldn't have surprised me so much, I mean, I almost was. But I'd just assumed that they knew. Surely Alice saw what happened… or maybe she didn't because I hadn't made the decision to run - I just had. That made sense. After all only one decision had been made all night, and that had been when they'd decided to … I shuddered at the lingering thought. Only then did I notice the silence still enveloping the room.

Both Carlisle and Edward were staring at me, open-mouthed. My eyes flitted from one to the other and back again, waiting for one of them to say something and growing more uneasy by the moment. Finally Edward seemed to find his voice.

"Love, what was that?" He said gently, like he hadn't heard me right. He was a vampire with super sensitive hearing! Of course he heard me right!

"I. Was. Not. Raped." I repeated, saying each word slowly. He still looked shocked.

"But, Alice's vision…" Carlisle asked, looking at me with confusion.

"Well, they were fully intending to…to rape me, but I fought them off and got away."

"You fought…" Edward murmured in awe… as if the idea was completely foreign to him. There was a weird light in his eyes; relief, and pride I think it was. "But…your shirt…?"

I sighed and put my face in my hands… _they were going to make me tell them the whole story, weren't they? _I sighed again and looked back up.

"The vision you saw was probably of them grabbing me and bringing me into a park. They held me down, taunted me for a bit and cut my shirt off with a knife. The.. The main one was, er… getting ready to …" I couldn't bring myself to narrate that part of the story, the thought of the lust in his eyes and how he'd undone his fly… I shuddered closing my eyes for a moment. I opened my eyes to find both Carlisle and Edward looking at me with deep concern, I took a shaky breathe then continued.

"Well, I kicked the… the main one between the legs and managed to get my right arm free. So I punched the one on my left and tried to run away. Charlie gave me a can of pepper-spray that I had in my purse and, well, it really came to good use. Then I just ran till I got home. That's when Edward found me."

I sniffled, looking at my feet. I hadn't realized how dirty my socks were until now.

"Bella…that's…well, that's amazing!" Edward breathed. I brought my eyes to meet his and saw such a glint of pride that I couldn't help but smile for.

"And the cut on your arm?" Carlisle asked, obviously trying to put together what had happened in his head. _Oh yea, I'd forgotten about that. _

"While I was running away. One was chasing me with a knife, I tripped and he tripped over me, slicing my arm. But I just got up, pepper-sprayed him and ran away."

Edward was beaming with enthusiasm and squeezed my hand with vigor. I blushed but smiled back all the same. Carlisle was grinning too, a look of pride on his own face as he said, "Wow. Very impressive! Well done Bella… I guess this won't be needed." And he placed what must have been his _tests _back onto the counter. A small twist in my gut was my response to the word "tests" in my mind, but I tried to grasp onto this brief happiness and keep the uneasiness at bay. I did smile a little at Carlisle's praise.

"In that case. I think we're done here, and I dare say Alice is dying to see you now, as is the rest of the family. You really did have us worried tonight."

I thanked him meekly and he replied that it was no problem whatsoever. And then Edward picked me up into his arms again, even though I would have been able to walk, but I certainly didn't complain as he brought back down the stairs.

I was just happy to be away from that damn cold metal table that felt so much like a slide…

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_Ok, so I have been giving you guys some rather short chapters, so here's what might be my longest one yet. I know I backtracked a bit, but I really wanted to tell that part from Bella's POV too. Anyways, Enjoy! And please, please, please keep reviewing. I'm not quite done yet. :__J_

_-FA_


	9. Chapter 9

EPOV

I walked at human pace with Bella as I left the room where Carlisle had just stitched up her arm. I loved the feeling of carrying her in my arms. So warm against my cool chest. I kissed her forehead again, acting on whim. _My angel is truly amazing. _I thought and my chest swelled out with pride. I remembered back to when I'd first met her. Her anger, her fury, had been so comical to me… _Like an angry kitten. _I shook my head now. When I'd found her that first time in Port Angeles, I'd been in time, she'd told me she was getting ready to fight and it made my stomach twist. But she really could take care of herself… well, some of the time. I suppose when danger seems to stalk you at every turn of your life you have to be _somewhat_ prepared.

But now that I was here, with her in my arms, safe and warm… my thoughts drifted back to those men. Those evil horrible men that would threaten my angel, whether she was able to take them on or not. She shouldn't have had to fight. They left her injured and scared. Broken. The memory of Alice's visions burned through my mind making me tense up as I held her to me. I felt as the proud smile of seconds before fell off of my face and a fire rekindled itself behind my eyes.

_As soon as Bella's asleep… _

As if reading my thoughts, she shifted in my arms and opened her eyes blearily. "Edward." she said, drawing my eyes to hers, "I know what you're thinking, and don't." She said it coolly, but a sense of authority underlay her still weak voice. Her stern expression told me clearly, _that was an order._

I was on the verge of playing dumb, denying that I had any notion of what she was talking about but instead I hung my head, knowing it would do no good. I didn't say anything as I gently lay her on the bed in my room, the one put there specifically for her. Well, us.

"I should go home." She mumbled, pulling the blankets up around herself hypocritically. I couldn't help but smile a little bit at her irony. "Nonsense. You'll stay here with us tonight." I kissed her on the lips then, drawing it out for as long as I dared. Eventually I pulled away and made to get off the bed. "Where are you going?" she asked in a panic, her eyes opening fearfully. I cringed, torn between the two things I wanted so desperately to do. Do I settle in next to the girl I love and let her sleep in my arms knowing that's the only way she wouldn't feel fear? Or do I go and avenge her honor, murdering those who did this to her in cold blood? A moment of blind indecision, which was stronger, my love or my hate? I knew the answer in my heart, but my anger wouldn't go unheard.

"Charlie will worry, I'm going to go see him and let him know what's happened." It might be true, I didn't know yet. She bit her lip, but settled back down on my pillow, nodding.

I turned to walk away but her voice stopped me. "Edward?" she said it so quietly, any human would not have been able to hear it. I turned only my head, my hand already on the doorknob. "Don't taint our relationship with his blood."

And just like that a war broke out within my mind. A thirst for blood and vengeance attacked my morals, and the good man I was trying so hard to be with Bella. Voices were screaming in my mind, but they weren't the usual trivial thoughts of other minds, they were my own. I wanted their blood. In both senses of the phrase.

I was out the door in a second, not letting her see the impact of her words. I walked down the stairs to the front door finally at vampire speed. But that's where I met my family.

"Edward, don't." Alice said, stepping forward from the line of my loved ones that were blocking the front door. In her mind I watched myself murdering the horrid scum, each time a different way to do it.. I thought about my options, using the window or the back door. But Jasper moved wordlessly to one and Emmett to the other. Alice must have seen that coming too. I saw my expression from six different vantage points, through every mind in the room. I looked furiously insane. _Dude, calm down. _Emmett thought, keeping his arms in front of him as if to catch me if I ran. And I felt Jasper trying to send calming wave, but I wasn't responding to the surreal tranquility he was trying to calm me with. I refused to be manipulated by his powerful gift.

Carlisle stepped forward now too. "Edward. This happened once before. You let me handle it then, let me handle it now. No blood needs to be spilt. Listen to Bella, don't let this scum taint your relationship."

I was shaking with fury.

"You don't understand." I said with ire. "I wasn't there to save her this time like I was then. I need to make things right."

"Edward. Bella made things alright. On her own. You were proud of her just moments ago!" Carlisle was trying to make me see sense. It was strange to hear him raise his voice, even just the little bit that he was. But I just couldn't see any kind of rationalization behind the red haze of anger filling my mind.

Then I saw myself through Esme's eyes. I grew afraid. Her soft concern, so quiet and endearing, was what finally made me calm down much more powerfully than Jasper's gift. _She was worried about me. She always was. I wish I didn't always give her reason to be. Maybe if I calmed down… I didn't have to drop the anger, just the fire in my eyes._

I took a shaky breathe and dropped my fists, which I hadn't realized until now I had been holding poised for a fight. I dropped my mental wall too and let Jasper's calm flood my mind, though reluctantly. I wasn't happy, still furious, but calm. A wave of pride washed through Esme. I didn't think I deserved it.

The visions in Alice's mind stopped changing. They'd been flicking through possibilities of fights and me pushing past, running off into the night. Or of me losing and being contained, every different possibility having been processed through my still fire-filled mind. The scenes of fights ceased as I accepted Jasper's calming waves, but I wasn't done yet.

"Am I supposed to stand aside and do nothing?" I whispered menacingly, my eyes flashing to Carlisle's face. He was about to reply, I could see his argument already in his mind, but then Rosalie cut him off.

"Let me do it." she said, speaking for the first time.

_What? _I heard from six different minds around the room, the last of which being my own. Then a dim understanding flashed in everyone's minds but Jasper, Alice and Emmett's minds; they were still confused.

"Why should I?" I asked dangerously. Why should she be the one allowed to avenge this grave injustice while I stood by and did nothing?

"Because I have experience with men such as these. And Because Bella won't be disappointed in _you_ if I get them first." I saw her intent, but Carlisle was jumping to conclusions. I watched in his mind a bloodbath as a blonde-haired monster killed and drank the blood of those horrible men. His thoughts, while absolutely horrifying to him as he thought of the moral implications concerning his oldest daughter, made me smile evilly.

"No." Rosalie said shortly, having read the look of horror and fear on Carlisle's face. "Not like that. I'll…" she thought about it, going through possibilities in her mind, I smiled at the especially violent ones, but she settled instead on the one she knew would please her father and mother most. "I'll bring him to Charlie. But…" she locked eyes with me now and we had a brief moment of sibling understanding the kind of which I rarely shared with my oldest sister. "…I won't do it painlessly either."

She meant it too. I grinned a little bit. This was a compromise I could live with. In his mind I could see it was one Carlisle could live with too.

_Thank you _I thought sincerely in my mind, holding eye contact with her and hoping she got the message. _You're welcome. _She thought in a harsh voice. I knew this was hard for her too, after what she'd been through. But she knew she'd be more controlled than me. I nodded once, to show I heard her and motion my rethought thanks.

_Just, keep her safe… _she thought in another character breaking moment, this one showing me the concern she felt for Bella that even she didn't know she had. _And be happy she was saved from having to go through what you know happened to me. _I nodded again, gratefully. This was Rosalie in her brightest hour. If asked before this had happened, I would have guessed that she would feel envious, or jealous that Bella had gotten away when she had not. That or she would use this as another excuse to not like Bella. But it seems I underestimated the kindness of my sister. It seems she was actually glad, that someone else didn't have to go through that pain. I suddenly felt horrible for the mean things I'd said to her over the years.

"I'll make this up to you." I said sincerely, although still wishing it could be me and not her.

"I think you are now." she said, touching on dark humor and guessing my thoughts. I smiled dryly as I shook my head.

"Carlisle?" Rosalie asked, looking for permission.

He sighed. "Just… Be safe, and don't get carried away."

"Wait." I said, everyone looked to me. "Let me…" I formulated a plan quickly in my mind. "Let me be the one to bring them to Charlie. It will make more sense to him if I'm the one to bring them in." They all gave me wary looks.

"I'll let Rose do the hard part, the part I couldn't handle…" venom filled my mouth at the very notion of tearing them to shreds with my teeth. "Just let me be the one to actually haul them in to Charlie… That's where I told Bella I was going anyway, and I want to be the one to tell him." They were still giving me wary looks. Alice saw two possible futures, but one was more likely than the other, the one where I succeeded in keeping Bella's trust. Carlisle looked thoughtful.

"Well," he started cautiously, "It would look slightly better for our image if Edward was the one to bring them in. It is sort of unlikely for a supposedly teenaged girl to have apprehended three armed possible rapists single-handedly. But are you sure? And Rose?"

Rosalie nodded, _As long as I get the fun part. _she thought smugly.

"I'll be careful." I promised Carlisle, "And you will." I said resignedly to Rose. _No one said I couldn't watch while the fun part happened. _I grinned a little bit to myself.

"Alice?" Carlisle said, looking for her input or approval.

"I…think he can handle it." Alice said, sizing me up a little in her mind. "I'm seeing both outcomes, but more of the good ones where he drags them to the police station _alive_."

Rose looked to me and said aloud, "We'll claim we did it together. That will be more believable than just me."

Carlisle nodded, "Alright fine… just be safe." Then he moved away from the front door, letting us pass.

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_When everyone else writes fics, do they plan them out or just write? Because I have a friend who needs to make a whole detailed outline of what will happen in every fic she does. But I just have a general idea and make people act as I think they would. Like for this chap, I didn't know until I started writing this yesterday that Rosalie would be the one to bring them in… but it just made sense as I was writing… Whatever. _

_Oh and BTW, Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!! (please review and thanks for reading!)_

_-FA :)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry, I've been busy with Christmas and such. Hope everyone else's was happy. I got a couple Twilight things so that was good. (Yay poster of Rob Pattington and pics of Jackson Rathbone!) So yea, here's chapter ten! Hope you like and please review! (p.s. as you'll soon find out, Boss is the lead thug that tried to rape Bella, so yea this starts in his POV). Enjoy! -FA :)_

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(Boss)POV

"She what?"

The miserable excuse for a man we call "Kyle" shrank away from me in fear.

"I said, 'S-she got away'" He repeated warily. His eyes wide at fear of my response. He was right to be afraid.

"You. Let. Her. Get. _Away_?!?!" I was shouting. I could feel my face morph into a fierce piece of work as blood rushed up my neck in anger.

"Aww, c'mon boss! She pepper-sprayed me too!" he was flinching at my raised voice, but his tone came out sounding like the whining of a child. It infuriated me further.

"That is no excuse!" I backhanded his round irritating face and he flew to the side letting my blow follow through. He groaned from beneath me.

"What happens now?" came a small scared voice from behind me. I turned coldly toward Frey. _Stupid, stupid Frey. _

"What happens now…." I said quietly, ominously flashing my eyes to him. "Is I beat your brains out for letting her get her hand free in the first place!!" I screamed the last part again and stepped forward with gusto. He too shrank back in fear. I didn't advance farther though… they weren't worth wasting my energy on.

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and first finger closing my eyes and trying to contain some of the rage. "You checked all of the side streets, she's not wondering around _anywhere_?" I asked Kyle, not opening my eyes.

"Yea, I did. She must live somewhere around here." He said, sounding relieved that I wasn't going to hit him again. Little did he know I wasn't ruling that option out quite yet.

"She wasn't supposed to get away! This was supposed to be easy!!… We should have just been able to do away with her afterwards, but you two idiots had to let her get away!" I was screaming again. They cowered.

No one said anything. I needed a plan.

"Alright c'mon. There's only one thing to do… We have to get outta here."

I scowled. I didn't wanna leave. But for all I knew this little girl had already gotten home and phoned daddy who had the police on their way.

"Well, C'mon!" I said impatiently and stalked toward the exit of the park. They followed a few feet behind me as if afraid I'd turn and start beating them again… still a possibility.

"Stupid little girl…" I mumbled under my breath as I led idiots number 1 and 2 away with me. "Shoulda been able to handle…not even more than twenty years old!" I continued grumbling angrily.

"We'll go to Frey's house." I said aloud; couldn't expect morons like them to put two and two together and know that Frey's house was the only thing in this direction.

"Then take his car outta town for awhile." _Stupid little girl. _

The rest of the walk through the dark suburbs was silent. They were too afraid to say anything and I was to enraged. Every few steps I winced inwardly by the lasting pain between my legs. That little girl sure had a leg on her. I think she bruised a bit more than my pride, if you catch my drift… This thought process made me start cursing under my breathe again, but neither Frey nor Kyle seemed to notice.

Our walk led us past the rows of houses and into a small section of woods just outside the town. We followed this road till we reached a small cluster of run down houses. Frey's was the most dilapidated one on the end.

I spit on his old Mazda protégé; a once white car that might have been nice in the hands of someone who'd take care of it. They followed me wordlessly into the house.

I flicked on the light in his small two bedroom one floor home. Some cockroaches scurried under a pizza box lying next to the puke-green couch, which was leaking stuffing out onto the floor. The whole place had a smell of urine and tobacco about it. I crinkled my nose slightly, but I'd been expecting the smell. Honestly it would surprise me if either of these two's places were ever clean.

"What are we getting?" Frey asked. A white anger flashed through my mind. He should know better than to question me when I'm already like this.

"Well we need some booze at least," I snapped and walked over to the refrigerator. I wrenched the door open and was immediately overcome by the scent of rotten eggs. Sure enough, there was a carton of eggs, a half gallon of milk - half gone, and, thankfully, a six-pack of beer.

I grabbed that and swung the door shut, cutting off some of the intoxicating scent.

"Alright. Let's go!" I said impatiently, as I saw them standing about awkwardly, as if they didn't know what to do with themselves.

I grabbed Frey's keys from his hand and marched out the door, letting the screen door hit one of them with a "twang" behind me.

It wasn't until I had the keys in the door of the car that I noticed there was someone sitting on it, right in front of the wind-shield. I did a double-take. _Had she been there a second ago? _Then I did another double take. _She was beautiful!_

She smiled at me and waved, fluttering her fingers. Something in my pants seemed to twitch and come to life.

"You know, word on the grape-vine is that you boys are looking for a good rime tonight." She said alluringly. I just nodded. One of the morons behind me said in amazement, "Who _are_ you?"

I wanted to turn and glare at whichever one had spoken, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the beauty before me. She slid off the car and walked toward me, I seemed to be frozen in place in pure excitement.

She pulled the collar of my shirt toward her with surprising strength. I thought she was leaning in to kiss me, and I hastily replied without a second thought. But at the last minute she tilted her head to the side forcefully bringing her mouth to me ear.

"_I'm your worst nightmare_." she whispered menacingly, then she kneed me in the groin much harder than that dark haired beauty of a few hours ago that I'd nearly forgotten. Before I could even react and crumple to the ground again I felt something solid collide with my face, cracking some teeth, much quicker than what should have been possible. I howled, tasting my own blood, but then everything went black. But not before I could hear the screams from morons number one and two come from behind me.

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EPOV

It had been exceptionally easy to follow the men's scent to this location and both Rose and I heard their voices from at least a half a mile away.

"Stay here." Rosalie had said, and I almost didn't listen. I almost stepped ahead and beat her there myself, almost killed all three of them on the spot. She must have seen the rage on my face. She looked at me sternly and hissed one word, "_Bella_."

I closed my eyes for a moment. I knew she was right, but I wanted their blood _so_ badly. But beneath my eyelids I saw Bella's face, perfect in memory, and yet imperfect due to the unreality. My self-created image couldn't give her beauty justice. She looked almost angry; stern. I heard her words resound in my mind with dreamlike quality, "_Don't taint our relationship with his blood…_". I nodded once then opened my eyes. Rose was watching me, warily.

"I will." I said determinedly. I folded my arms and stepped back, so I could at least observe. She grinned, "Don't worry, I'll make it enjoyable… for us anyway."

And then she ran away. The men had come outside now, they were heading for an old worn-down car in the driveway. My sister appeared on top of the car seemingly from no where.

I listened to the dialogue from four vantage points, but none of the words (either out loud or silent) really struck me with any value. Although I did smirk the tiniest bit when Rose leaned forward toward the main figure, this "Boss" as the other two called him in their minds. Then she thought, _"Eww… Repulsive, especially for a human…" _The grimy men didn't appeal to her in the least, even their blood smelled bad, the faint scent of drugs flowing through their veins.

And then she kneed him right where it would hurt the most. A red haze of vengeance filled my mind as I watched his mind fill with pain, confusion and strings of profanity. I grinned triumphantly. Then at lightning speed she punched a few of his teeth out controlling the power of her hand not to actually crush his skull. A soft thud on the back of his neck, perfectly aimed, sent him reeling to the ground. Then she turned on the other two who were only now realizing that something had gone amiss.

She came at the one named Frey first, clawing his chest a few times to draw more blood. He was screeching like a banshee. Then another soft thump and he was down too. Now only "Kyle" was left, and she seemed to want to play with him a bit.

She turned toward him slowly, wiping her bloody hands before her for his effect. His knees were clanging together and his thoughts consisted completely of, "_Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." _I was still grinning in my wanton triumph. Rose was too.

"Every time you think of a woman again…" She whispered walking toward him with extreme grace, taking each step carefully and never dropping her eyes from his sweating face.

"…Think of me. And be…" She was right next to him now, tracing her hand along his chin. He was sweating and starting to consider running away.

"…AFRAID!" She punched him in the chest with enough force to bruise his ribs and he went flying backwards to the ground. Then she leapt at him with furious and surreal speed and agility grinning manically as she brought her hand down a third time. His thoughts ceased too as he entered unconsciousness.

I was still carefully monitoring myself, my anger had not abated yet; but it was somewhat appeased. She had not been painless, she'd kept her word. I uncrossed my arms and seemingly came back to life as I hadn't moved in the last twenty or so seconds since she'd approached them to start.

"Well, it seems you had fun." I stated calmly and she flashed me a smug grin.

"And they won't remember a thing." She said. _So you can claim any story you a want to Charlie when you bring them in and they'll believe you. _

"I almost want the third one to remember the end." I said wistfully, slightly making fun, both of us knew it would be disastrous if he did, and knowing that he wouldn't.

"Well, that's the beauty of what I did." She countered. "I did quite a number on his subconscious right there. If he ever thinks of a woman again, he _will_ be afraid, and he won't even know why." She was bragging, very pleased with what she'd accomplished.

There was a moment's silence, but I brought it to an end by changing the tone to one of seriousness, I held her eyes as I looked at her sincerely.

"Thank you." I practically whispered it, but I knew she would hear.

"No problem." She said just as seriously, "I hate them just as much as you do." And by her violent thoughts, memories clouding her mind, I knew she was right.

I just nodded once, letting our words hang in the air.

"To Charlie?" I asked gesturing to the three motionless thugs laying on the driveway.

"I think we did this… together…?" She said, already between two of them and lifting the one with a clawed chest up by the collar.

"Agreed." I said lifting the third and planned how best to approach the next obstacle at hand. Explaining all of this to Bella's father. I sighed and took off into the night, Rose following right behind me.


	11. Chapter 11

_SO I'm absolutely loving everyone's reaction to the last chapter teehee! Everyone is so pumped about Rosalie, it's great. But I really think (or hope) she's still in character, I think this is how she would act in this situation. Everyone is really excited about her ability to kick some "serious tail" (nice choice of words Wintermoth lol) and that made me happy. And I'm getting such great reviews! I can't believe someone mentioned I had the honor of writing like Miss meyer herself - I'm speechless and quite pleased (if a little doubtful, but that's beside the point). Anyway, here's the next chap, I hope you don't mind that it's taking me up to two days now for new chapter, I'm still kinda busy (hopefully no more death threats lol ;) ) SO-without further ado - Chapter 11. Enjoy! :) -FA_

EPOV

"Is Chief Swan here? I need to speak to him immediately." The man at the front desk of the police station looked bored, and tired.

…_Ugh I need sleep…or coffee… wonder what the Doc's kid wants with Charlie? Whatever. I'll take him to the chief… grab a cup of Joe on the way back…_

He yawned and I heard his mind expand as oxygen was rushed into his skull. It was a weird sensation, to hear someone else think a yawn. But he got on his feet much slower than the urgency of my voice called for, and walked me over to his office at the pace of an injured tortoise.

"He's in there. You'll probably wanna knock to see if he's not busy."

"Thank you very much." I said sincerely in my polite _buttering up authority-figure type humans_ voice. "Oh and sir?" I said anxiously, stopping him as he'd already turned toward the coffee pot on the opposite end of the station. He seemed to be trying to raise an eyebrow in acknowledgement, but he was just too tired to get the right expression across. "Could you please send someone out to my sister? She's waiting outside - we've brought three men we think you'll want to process."

This got at least some reaction out of him. I put on a feigned look of anxiety as I followed his thoughts predictably along the lines of _"my sister", "outside", and "three men you'll want to process"_.

He put his thoughts of coffee on hold at least until after he figured out the strange incident involving "_these weird Cullen kids_".

"Sure thing kid, I'll grab someone and go on out now." was his vocal response. I let the look of relief show on my features.

"Thank you very much sir." And he turned away.

Now came the part I was really worried about, I took a deep breathe staring at Charlie's door. After a moment to let the fake emotions fade away (_I would be utterly honest with Bella's father - well, wherever I could be anyway_), I rapped on the hard wood three times with my knuckles.

"Come in." Charlie's voice floated through the door, he sounded almost bored. I mentally steeled myself about what would come and twisted the handle walking inside.

He was looking over some file reports and didn't look up when I entered. "Chief Swan?" I asked tentatively. His face snapped up and even in his somewhat guarded mind I saw that I'd startled him, he hadn't been expecting _me_ to walk through his door at this ungodly hour of the morning.

"Edward!" He said in puzzlement, "What are you doing here?" Then his eyes narrowed as suspicion and worry set in, "What's wrong? Weren't you away or something? What happened?"

"Well, yes, I was supposed to be away, but I came home a day early. But sir, It's Bella." The look of horror that crossed his face was so intense I nearly stepped back a foot. His mind screamed in panic and fear.

"No, sir, she's fine! Honestly! It's just… something's happened tonight and I wanted to be the one to tell you." He calmed down a bit as blind panic turned to deep concern. He still looked at me pretty warily.

"What happened?" He asked, slightly fearfully, with a little bit of anxious anger leaking into his voice. He had no idea how much I sympathized.

"Well, Bella decided to walk home from town tonight…" I began. I decided to make it as short and simple as possible, only letting the essentials go through.

"And apparently, three men saw her and decided to try and…" I struggled for the right words to portray this without causing emotional harm to either him or myself, "…they tried to have their way with her." His eyes widened and he leaned forward in his seat. I thought I saw his hand twitch toward his gun. I put my hands up to try to keep him calm and rational; and not firing shots. _Did I really want him to not fire shots? Hmm…_

"Don't worry! She's safe! She got away before they could do very much to her. She has a cut on her arm, but other than that she's fine…Shaken…but fine." He looked shaken too. Literally, I saw his hands begin to tremble as all sorts of parental emotions crossed his stricken face. I gave him a few moments to think things through. He stared at a wall not really seeing it at all.

Finally he looked back up to me, showing a distinct look of disbelief. "Three of them…and she got away…How?" If he hadn't been staring deep into my eyes as we shared a tortured gaze I would have guessed by his quiet tone that that had been directed to himself. I gave him a smirk that didn't quite meet my eyes, "Apparently having a police chief for a father gave her a bit of sense in this case - a can of mace someone gave her seemed to have come in handy." I'd meant it lightly, to try and lift the mood, but neither one of us really grinned. I distinctly heard a clash of emotions in Charlie's usually reserved mind. I normally can't hear his whole worded thoughts but one came through powerfully as he repeated it over and over in his head, "_I never meant for her to use that mace - it was supposed to be an overprotective precaution._" he pulled a shaky hand over his face and tired to even out his breathing.

"Um...Sir?" I said uncertainly, not wanting to disturb his attempted moment of peace but knowing I had to continue on with my story.

"There's more?" He asked, looking up from underneath only one of his hands.

"Well the news gets slightly better." I offered apologetically. He only looked at me and waited for me to continue. I edited some parts in the next part of the story.

"I told you I came home early tonight, so I decided to call your daughter and let her know. When no one picked up your phone, I got worried and decided to drop by. That's when I found her… er, rather _upset_ by what had happened and having only gotten home. I took her to my father, and she's asleep in Alice's room right now." Truthfully it was my room, but he didn't have to…or _want_ to know that right now. Charlie nodded solemnly, clearly thinking I had finished, but I had not. He looked up again slightly surprised as I continued.

"Well, I got ..er… quite angry when I'd found out what….these _monsters_ had done; or rather, attempted to do." He was giving me a strange look now, I couldn't quite place the emotion, he might have been guessing what I'd done, or could have done about it. I suppose I must look at least partially as livid as I still felt about the whole thing too.

"I may have gone to where Bella had said they'd been, and tried to track them down." His eyes got wide as the plot thickened.

"Well, long story short, I found them and with the help of my sister, they're waiting outside for you right now."

His eyes had gotten larger and larger with every word of that sentence and he nearly jumped out of his seat when I'd reached the end of it.

"Right no-… wait…your sister? Alice helped you?" He asked incredulously. In his mind, the help of little Alice in this case didn't add up. He was adding two and two and getting five. He thought I'd lost my mind.

"No sir, actually it was my other sister - Rosalie. I told her not to come when I'd left the house, but she'd followed me unawares. But when I actually confronted those horrible _criminals _(I hissed the word, wanting to use a word much, much stronger), she came out of the woodwork and proved to be amazing help… I'd known she could fight, but I didn't want her to possibly get hurt anyway. But she wound up coming to save me, so I guess I shouldn't have been worried." In reality, I'd never worry about Rose, or Alice for that matter, in that way. I knew they were as indestructible as I was and never in danger of any human, no matter how revolting. But I knew I had to play the protective brother card convincingly. It seemed like the right reaction for a brother to not want his human sister to fight a couple of forbearing possible rapists. Charlie's eyes were still wide, but I think he bought the story.

"So they're here, now?" he said looking toward the door.

"They should be." I said following his gaze to the solid mahogany door. He practically ran to it, and sure enough, just across the room was Rosalie, five policemen, and three unconscious horrible men. I could hear her telling the policemen the same story I'd just fed Charlie, having perfected it on the way here with me. Then Charlie was across the room in a flash, determined to lay eyes on his daughter's nightmares in the flesh. But I still caught the look of both horror and amazement that crossed both his mind and his eyes as he gave a last glance at my face.


	12. Chapter 12

EPOV

The three men were just starting to wake as Charlie charged his way across the room. I thought he was just going over to talk to the others, maybe thank Rose. But I stepped forward, my eyes wide as his fist made contact with the jaw of 'Boss'.

"You Son of a _Bitch_!" he screamed, his face red and furious. It took everyone a moment to register that the chief of police had just struck one of the men being held in custody. He drew his arm back again, Boss's eyes as wide with disbelief as everyone else.

"Whoa!!" several voices shouted at once, and suddenly three pairs of arms were holding Charlie back. The surprise of the other policemen faded enough for them to try and stop him. They used only as much force as necessary, all of them slightly reluctant to contain their leader - especially because of his justifiable rage. I couldn't help but smile infinitesimally. He may not find me to be a good choice for Bella, but his love for his daughter would always make me like him that much more _So I'm not the only one who would lose my temper over something like this,_ I shook my head slightly, a smile still playing on my lips.

Charlie was already calming down, at least, he didn't resist his fellow policemen.

The three men under arrest were still on the floor, the two cronies still groggy enough to wonder what had happened. Boss was confused, but fully awake by now, and his jaw hurt. "What the hell was that?!" He asked heatedly, rubbing his jaw in indignation. The fact that he was surrounded by policemen made him angry, not struck with fear as the other two were starting to be. He glared up at Charlie, who's arms were being held behind his back forcibly.

"My daughter." Charlie said quietly with more venom than I thought was possible for a human. Instinctively, I tensed - preparing to defend myself against a fellow vampire, before remembering with a jolt that he was human. "_Wow_." Rose thought with awe, and I know it had happened to her too. Charlie continued in that chilling, mind-numbing, tone, "The girl you attacked tonight, the one that got away…was _MY DAUGHTER_."

His eyes looked so dangerous it was still astounding. Some of the other policemen were struck with fear, but held in place by their duty. All the blood drained out of Boss's face. For the first time since I'd learned of his existence, he looked afraid. "Your…" he couldn't seem to get the word out of his mouth, but his mind screamed it over and over again. _"…daughter! Son of a bitch! How the hell do I get luck this bad!? And how did I get here anyway?!?" _

Suddenly he was struck with a memory. My body tensed with anger at the picture of Bella trapped in his mind. She was being held captive, and looked positively angry. Usually I liked seeing her angry, because it was usually over nothing, and it made me rather amused. But I hated it here. I always found her anger funny, because it would do no good. So seeing Bella threatened in this way… well, it was just plain agony, and made me want to avenge her anger, the threat that was posed. It made me just about ready to kill. _"No!" _I thought, turning into a statue and using all my self-control to not bound across the room and kill the man on the ground, showing everyone the monster that I really am, or could be…

The man's memory continued, completely oblivious to the fact that his life may be about to end due to the livid vampire watching his every thought and move. _"My father will kill you!" _My precious Bella had thrown at him, her usually soft eyes sharp as she struggled uselessly and Boss laughed. She should have been worrying about _me_. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, as the memory faded out of his mind. Boss was comparing Bella's face to the enraged figure of her father before him. My hands were balled into fists, but I let the need to kill slip away. I couldn't do that. _I could… No. For Bella. _

"_Son of a bitch! I didn't know Daddy was a f***ing police officer. Sh**!"_

The other policemen were hauling the three of them to their feet and bringing them to the back. The interrogation room. They would explain how they'd gotten there.

One of the two others, Frey, I think it was, was running through the whole night in his mind, trying to figure out how they'd gotten here. The last thing he remembered was going toward his house, and he thought they'd gotten there. But then he went back in his own memory, reviewing the entire night. I watched his recollection, a different vantage point from the last memory as they held Bella down. I watched her cry as they … they …_touched_… my angel. I was torn between wanting to bring death upon them and wanting to curl up into a little ball and wait for death because I hadn't been there to stop them. I was barely able to stay a statue, my eyes unfocused as the scenes flashed through his mind. His thoughts at the time assumed that she had given up, so he let go with one hand and unzipped his fly. I saw a haze of red fill my mind as the anger nearly overwhelmed me. But then… surprise, her wrist had pulled free in his moment of indulgence, followed by agony… she'd maced him. I felt dueling emotions, triumph and fear as I watched her run away leaving Frey writhing on the ground, the other one, Kyle chasing her.

I watched in all their minds, the story happening again and again, as they all tried to figure out how they'd gotten here. I heard Boss's surprise when she'd struck him, it made me smile wryly at her choice of where to attack, and she did more damage then she probably thought she did. Then I still felt fear as I watched the other chase her, _he was catching up, he had a knife! He wasn't trying to catch her - he was trying to kill!! _My mind reeled in panic, so wrapped up in the memory that I forgot how it ended. She glanced back, she saw the knife and ran harder. He was right there - he reached forward, and then… confusion. He'd tripped. But over what? Then I remembered before he realized what had occurred. _The girl! _Then Bella athletically rolled away from her attacker, springing to her feet. Kyle started getting up, much slower in comparison to her adrenaline powered movements. Then he too fell back, a glint of pure hatred shining through her eyes still red and puffy, tears left unwashed from her cheeks. Then his sight stopped and the memory faded out. Then all of them were passed the fight, one remembered getting to Frey's house and walking out the door, the other two only remembered getting there. But they all felt such fear towards Rosalie, and none of them knew why. The one she'd scratched looked down at himself and gasped in fear and revulsion at his tattered flesh.

I made myself snap out of their minds, before they went through their memories again. I don't think I could handle seeing Bella like that twice. I didn't know if I could handle it _once_. She hadn't told me it had gotten that bad. That far. I shuddered, moving for the first time in minutes, but I forced myself to look around.

"I'm all right. I'm all right." Charlie was saying exasperatedly. "Really George. I'm done. It won't happen again." He looked defeated, but in control. Warily the man named George, let Charlie's arms go free. " I suppose we have to question 'em." Charlie said in a steely voice turning the way that the criminals had been taken.

The other men looked between themselves warily. "Uh…Chief, Don't you think that might not be the best idea?" Charlie squinted his eyes suspiciously, "And why the hell not?!" He asked angrily. The others were afraid to answer. "Well," the one named George started deftly, "You are kind of personally involved."

"I'm still the Chief Damn it!" He said, then as his words came back to him along with the looks on their faces; his face sagged. He closed his eyes and put a shaky hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose - visibly trying to calm himself down.

I walked forward, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and looked up, having clearly forgotten about me. "Sir, why don't you go home and get some sleep." His thoughts soured, and I thought I caught the end of one saying, _"…don't want to go home to an empty house, now. Be too worried about Bells to sleep anyway…" _

I recognized the man who wanted coffee before, jump forward at the opportunity. "Yea Chief! Just go home and sleep. We got everything under control here! Trust me." He paused a moment as Charlie looked skeptical, then continued, "No really, we'll go as far as the law will take us…promise." Charlie sighed, looking defeated. "FIne…I'll go home… but..." He looked at the other man with such an intensity it would make any person's heart rate speed up, " the full extent of the law; you got that. If they get away with anything… I'm blaming you." The other man tried not to show his shiver, but wasn't very successful. Then the three of us; Charlie Rose and me walked out to the parking lot.

Once outside, Charlie turned to face us. "I suppose I have to thank you kids, for bringing them in I mean… I am sort of curious to how it all happened, but have a feeling I'd rather not know."

"Oh it was no problem, officer Swan." Rosalie said politely in her patronizing humans tone, then her face turned scared. In her thoughts I found the easily played out charade, it was almost funny how scripted the next speech she gave was, "I just hope its alright that we brought them in…er… injured." _Act insecure, struggle over a loss of the word, pause - injured. Continue as if trying to convince… _"I mean, I hope we won't get in trouble, after all, it was self-defense for the most part in both our cases."

Ah, the classic loophole for violence; self-defense. I had been so wrapped up in not killing the men I wouldn't have thought to protect ourselves legally. Thank you Rosalie. I could tell by the look on Charlie's face, one of gratitude, that he was happy for the loophole too. Or at least, the illusion of a loophole; in reality she'd never once even considered defense. Rose's thoughts were still on dictating the charade. _Put right arm on left elbow, bite lip, look anxious, as the average teenage girl would be. _She laughed once in her mind, and I did too, but the look of merriment never once crossed her perfectly masked face.

Charlie just shook his head, "Oh no. Of course you'll be fine. You're heroes!" He looked at both of us, I felt slightly bad about sharing the credit, but knew it was necessary. "Don't worry honey, you were in the right, and you'll be protected by and from the law." She nodded, her face lighting up. _Look relieved and happy. _

"Sir, would you like to come to our house tonight? That way you can take Bella home first thing in the morning, and we won't have to wake her." He was very happy with the idea. Rose was…reluctant, but willing. I just thought it would be the best thing for him, what would make him happiest.

"Oh well…" He started, very obviously bluffing, "I wouldn't want to impress myself upon you folks." His eyes were practically begging me to protest, so I did. "It wouldn't be a problem, I assure you. We have an extra bed, and Esme would absolutely love the chance to entertain." He looked pleased, his thoughts took a happier turn.

"Well, if you really don't mind…" He said. "We don't" Rose supplied sweetly. _We might… if he sees something he shouldn't it's all your fault. _She smiled kindly at Charlie, and only I could catch the swift glance in my direction.

"You can follow us there." I said, knowing he wouldn't know the way.

As soon as I shut the door to the I turned to Rosalie. "I'm going the speed limit, and taking the long way home. Run back and move Bella's bed into Alice's room, grab another bed along the way from a mattress store or something and put it in my room - we'll put Charlie there. Oh, and remember to take down anything that should be before our time, and warn the others - we have company tonight." Rose rolled her eyes. "Got it." she said. "Oh, and get back in the car…" she cut me off.

"Without being noticed… yea yea. I got it, will you go? I can't leave until we're outta the lights from the police station." I grinned, then put the car in drive.

"Thanks Sis." I said honestly, and she knew it wasn't just for getting home to give us cover up. She grinned and her thoughts said, _You're welcome. _But aloud all she said, was "Yea, yea." Then she was out the window with a smirk, leaving me behind.

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It was fun to mess with Charlie teehee. Please review, I'm hoping to break 100 w/ this post *crosses fingers* hope you like, and more coming soon :) -FA


	13. Chapter 13

_BPOV _

"_Don't taint our relationship with his blood." _

_He didn't turn to look at me, but I could see by the way his hand tightened around the doorknob that I'd struck a nerve. The door snapped shut behind him, with slightly more force than was usual. Of course, being Edward, it hadn't slammed or anything, but I could see the difference. He was livid. I could just tell. _

_I settled back into the covers and tried to get comfortable, but I just couldn't do it. I was afraid. Part of the fear was just stupid, post-traumatic stress fear. I knew it would go away eventually, but I couldn't help but think that it would go away sooner if Edward were here holding my hand. But there was more fear there too, a different fear. For one of the first times in a long time, I was afraid of Edward. It might have been the first time ever, that I was afraid of him in this way, afraid of what he was, what he could do. I'd been afraid of him before, but just his over protectiveness, his anger, rejection, but I'd never felt afraid because he was a vampire - even though he tried to tell me repeatedly I should be. But I wasn't afraid for myself. I was afraid for those men. I hated them, I really, really did; but I didn't want them __dead_. Especially not at the hands of _my_ Edward. I didn't want to think he could be that kind of monster again, I didn't want him to be.

And honestly, just seeing him that angry, knowing he was plotting murder, that scared me too. I gave up on sleep and sat up in his bed, pulling the sheets up around me. I pulled me knees to my chest and tried to stop shaking. I wouldn't sleep until he got back. I wouldn't be able to now anyway. I wished he'd hurry; and I wished I believed he was just going to see Charlie. I just wanted him back in bed with me…right now. I was starting to relive the night.

I was getting drowsier and drowsier, but every time I closed my eyes I saw pictures of _them_. I heard their voices, I heard their laughter. For one terror-causing second I felt the cool metal of the slide under my body, against my bare back in the freezing cold. I pulled my knees closer and felt the tears welling up beneath my eyelids. I let a few squeeze out silently. I knew they'd be able to tell anyway, the remaining vampires downstairs I mean, but I didn't want to sob and know that they could listen to me cry. I leaned my cheek against my knees and wished I could feel Edward's comforting arms around me, maybe then I'd stop shaking like a leaf.

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JPOV

Right after Edward and Rosalie left the rest of us looked around. Then like a steady drumbeat on a radio being turned up, we all heard Bella's heartbeat go up at once. Like it had been scripted all five of us looked up at the ceiling at the same time, where Bella was. Then as I became more aware, I began to really take in the feelings that were drifting lazily down the stairs. She was so afraid; very upset.

Alice and Esme both looked at me. I answered their unspoken question with a quick nod. "I'll go up and see her." And then I was up the stairs outside Edward's bedroom door. I knocked softly, knowing she would be awake; her breathing wasn't even enough for her to be asleep. Suddenly it got very quiet, and her breathing stopped for a few seconds, I heard her sniffle, and what was probably a hand running across her face. The anxiety I got from her escaladed, I grimaced for a moment then composed myself and said very gently, "Bella?"

Embarrassment flooded out the door then and I could tell she was trying to compose her voice so it was stable, "Come in." She succeeded. It was just over a whisper, she knew that I would hear. I opened the door slowly, not wanting to spook her more. I found her in an upright fetal position on his bed, her arms wrapped around her knees, and shaking uncontrollably. She tried to greet me with a grin, but even without my power her bloodshot eyes would have given her away. "Hey Jasper." Her voice cracked this time, and the grin dropped off her face as I said, "Hey. I thought you might want some company."

I sat on the edge of the bed. My human side told me to hold her, give her some sort of comfort, but I couldn't deny that she still smelled delicious, and my throat hurt to be here. Luckily I wasn't thirsty though, otherwise this would be much worse. I sent some calming waves at her, trying to make her less afraid.

She grinned a bit more genuinely at me, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Thanks." She said gratefully, and she looked like she meant it too. "No problem." I said, grinning back a little bit, not letting up on my soothing influence on her. I meant it too. I hated being a monster, so I loved moments like this where my being here does make things better. She was giving me an excuse to feel better too.

After a few minutes she stopped shaking and stretched her knees out on the bed, feeling more relaxed, but that intense fear was still there, lurking just under the surface. Finally I broke the silence again, and she opened her eyes to look at me as I said quietly, "You don't have to be afraid you know." Her eyes bore into mine and for a second the fear was there on the surface, but both of us pushed it back again. "You're safe here, we won't let anything happen to you."

"I know." She said just as quietly, I vaguely wondered why we bothered whispering in a house full of vampires. I mentally shrugged, it didn't matter anyway and it felt more private when we whispered like this. "But it's not _that_ that I'm worried about." she answered me.

I just raised an eyebrow at her; I knew how she felt. "Well ok…"she conceded after a few seconds of my gaze, "That's a _little_ bit of why I'm afraid. But I'm more worried about _him_." I knew who she meant. I nodded, she had good reason to worry about that.

"Alice saw him, just now, you know." Bella's eyes widened willing me to say what it was Alice saw. "She's pretty sure he'll be ok. Fairly certain they'll stay alive. And Rose is with him too. He'll probably be back here before you know it." Curiosity entered the room. "Rose is with him?" Bella asked. I just nodded, suddenly realizing she wouldn't know what had happened downstairs.

"He said that he'd let Rose take them in to the police, and then he really was going to speak to Charlie." Curiosity turned to relief as she realized he hadn't been lying to her. Well, he would actually do what he'd said anyway, whether he'd intended to or not when he'd left the room may have been a different story.

"And Alice said he'll probably be alright, that's probably what'll happen?" I liked the fact that she said _"probably"_. She didn't put too much pressure on Alice and her visions, like some of the others unconsciously do. _"The future's always subjective." _Alice always says,and people always seem to forget that, then blame Alice when things wind up differently. But Bella didn't. I liked that. "Probably." I answered her willingly, the corners of my mouth turning up.

I inched a little closer to her on the bed, my waves of calm were making her exhausted, but I felt her own dose of stubbornness refusing to let her lay down. "You're gonna wait until he gets back." It could have been a question, but we both knew the answer anyway.

"As long as it takes." she said determinedly, than bit back a yawn ironically. I chuckled once at her effort. "I'll wait then too." I said and slipped an arm around her right shoulder trying to make the last bit of anxiety melt away. It got smaller with the physical contact, and I felt her drowsiness pick up a bit too. Then she lowered her head to rest on my shoulder and within a few more minutes of continuous calm, she was snoring on my arm, despite her promise to stay awake. I smiled and bit back a quiet chuckle, but didn't take my arm away having meant my promise to wait it out with her.

I was surprised when Rosalie came bursting into the room, silently, but at full speed. "What's going on?" I whispered too quietly to wake Bella who's head was still lolling comfortably beside me. She gave a whispered very fast narrative of what was going on and what she need to do. I nodded to her and slipped my arm out from around Bella's shoulders as gently as I could. Once untangled from her sleeping form I gracefully got off the bed and picked it up with one hand bringing in into my own room. It was fast, but also very carefully done and smooth so that Bella was completely indifferent - snoring away when I placed it gently on the floor.

Just as I got it settled in the right place I heard the click of the door opening behind me. I felt an instant rise in my mood as I recognized the sound of the footsteps. _Alice. _I closed my eyes and grinned as my wife came under my left arm hugging her own arms around my chest. "How is she?" Alice asked too low for her to hear.

"She's better." I said, "Not great yet, but better, and she'll be fine once Edward's here." Alice nodded and sighed leaning against me. "Rose gone yet?" I muttered, only somewhat caring as I inhaled Alice's alluring scent. She nodded again, "She set up the bed and left about a minute ago, they'll be here soon with Charlie."

"That's good." I was glad Edward had been able to do it. Now Bella would feel so much better. I almost wished I could be there to feel that kind of relief through her, but knew it would probably be a private moment.

"Edward's a lucky guy." I purred, letting my thumb make circles along Alice's back. "Oh really?" Alice asked indignantly, trying to act very jealous for my benefit, I didn't actually feel even a lick of it in the room though. She thought it was sweet that I liked Bella like a sister already. And she liked that I liked her best friend, it made her happy, and I loved seeing her happy anyway.

"Well, in perspective…" I continued coolly, "I mean, not everyone can be as lucky as me." I tried to say the words casually, meaningless as they hung in the air, just to tease her. But such a joy emanated out f her I had to look down, and a smile lit up my face as I looked into the face of my one true love who was smiling jubilantly at me now.

"I love you Jazz." She said, and kissed my chin because she couldn't reach my lips at this angle. I chuckled once, lowering my face to meet hers willingly, "I love you too." I murmured against her lips. She smiled.

When we broke apart we continued to hold on to each other, and I kept sending calming waves over toward the bed. We'd wait here for Edward. I didn't need the calming waves myself anymore, I was as happy as I possibly could be.

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How on earth did people constantly drive at this ungodly speed on a daily basis?? If I'd been going my speed, I would have been able to go all the way to the next state and back before Charlie reached my house going a whole of _35 miles per hour_. I mean really; why?! But I had no choice but to keep crawling along at this horrible pace. I didn't want Bella's father to have another reason to dislike me. And I was also trying to give Rose as much time as possible; not that she'd need it, there was no way _she_ was moving this slow. I had an odd urge to bang my head into the steering wheel with impatience. I wanted to see Bella, and I hated not doing anything for so long.

When I was about a mile or so from home, Rosalie climbed back into the still open passenger side window of my car. "All set?" I asked her. "All set. Did what's his face, Captain Crunch…" she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the police cruiser behind us, "see me getting back in?"

And Rosalie was back. In the figurative sense of the word too. I shook my head smirking a little bit. I scanned Charlie's thoughts, which, as always, were surprisingly hard to hear for a human. There was no sense of surprise, he was still brooding over the news Rose and I had just delivered. I felt the corners of my mouth pull downward as those monster's memories flooded my own thoughts again through his wandering mind.

"Well? Did he?" Rose asked impatiently, looking at me quizzically.

I snapped back out of it with a twang, and shook my head. "Oh, no, you're fine." She nodded. I upped the speed to a whole 40 mph hoping the chief of police behind us wouldn't mind an extra five miles over the limit. Well, no flashing lights, we seemed to be fine. He seemed just as distracted anyway.

We finally pulled up to the house and Rose and I jumped out, shutting the doors behind us at human rate. Charlie got out of the cruiser and walked over awkwardly. "Er, are you kids sure this is alright. Do your parents know I'm coming?"

"Oh yeah" Rosalie said in a very sweet endearing tone, "I called them while Edward was driving. They'll probably have the bed made up already." I nodded and smiled politely. If Esme could be proud of anything it could be how her children acted around authority figures. We were always charming and sweet and socially acceptable; too bad it was all an act because we are quite possibly the farthest thing from socially acceptable there is. Charlie muttered something that resembled a gruff thank you. I waved it off, put a hand on his shoulder and guided him toward the door.

Charlie eyed my hand uncomfortably, so I coolly took it off his shoulder. I wondered how many times I've actually been in physical contact with Bella's father. I shook my head, there were more important things to think about right now. We opened the front door and sure enough Esme and Carlisle were waiting by the door to greet us.

Both Rosalie and I gave our parents informal hello's and walked inside. Charlie stood, like he had outside, like he had no idea what to do with himself or say. Maybe we _weren't_ the most socially acceptable things on the earth…

"Chief Swan." Esme said with warm smile and offering her hand formally. Charlie shook it, obviously relieved to know what to do at least in one case scenario. "Welcome to our home." Esme's warm glow seemed to defrost him from his uneasiness. She sort of had that effect on people.

"Mrs. Cullen." Charlie started, then nodding to Carlisle in greeting, "Dr. Cullen. Thank you very much for having me. I don't want to intrude, it's just with Bells being here, and after…I didn't want to leave her…" He floundered for a few seconds after his perfectly good opening. Carlisle saved him and a look of relief again washed over his features.

"Of course. We understand. We would have gotten Bella home after I examined her, but she was just so exhausted we wound up putting her in Alice's bed."

"How is she?" Charlie asked suddenly looking sick with worry, "Is she alright?" Carlisle gave him the classic look for calming down patients' families. He put a hand subconsciously on the small of Esme's back as he talked. "She's perfectly fine. A bit shaken, and I had to give her a few stitches, but overall, she'll be just fine by the morning." Charlie let out a breathe of air, but despite his moment to feel better, his mind turned tense at the word _"stitches" _but he didn't ask.

"Can I see her now?"

Carlisle nodded, "Of course. But she is still sleeping, so I'd try not to wake her if I were you.".

"Uh…Where..?" Charlie started, glancing around the main hall and down the halls he could see, and glanced at the stairwell as well. Before he could properly ask his question however Alice and Jasper walked out of their room, holding hands. "Heya Charlie!" Alice greeted him, a little less enthusiastically than normal due to the situation, but very friendly all the same. She skipped across the room, Jasper walking beside her looking content.

At the same time Emmett came down the stairs and greeted Rosalie quietly, for once not being his usual intruding obnoxious self. The two of them discreetly went off into the kitchen with Esme and Carlisle, giving us the illusion of privacy in the hall. Charlie seemed grateful.

"Hello Alice." Charlie stated with an obvious liking toward my sister. "I'll take you to Bella, if you like." Like she hadn't heard our conversation. _We'll show him your room next and Bella will be yours for the night, he won't wake up till dawn from what I can see. _But then I directed my attention to Jasper's thoughts, partially consumed by his wife's hand in his. But then he directed his thoughts at me. _Edward, she was really scared, I was comforting her with my gift, but I think at his point you'll do better than I ever could. She was very worried about you, she tried to wait up, but didn't make it. _His 'voice' sounded humorous, like he found it funny that she tried to stay awake, I smirked. By now we were in Jasper and Alice's room, where my angel lay sleeping soundly on the bed. Alice and Jasper excused themselves to the hall, and I held the door, giving Charlie some privacy, but still being present to guide him out when he was done.

He walked slowly over to the bed, tip-toeing so he'd be sure not to make any noise. Then he kissed Bella on the forehead, touched her cheek and backed away, still staying silent. "I don't want to wake her." He whispered and I nodded agreeably. Once he exited the room, looking a great deal more relieved now that he'd seen his daughter, I made a show of slowly closing the door; even though I knew it would never creak.

Once back out in the hall I looked at Charlie and said, "You'll be staying in my room, upstairs." Then I walked toward the staircase and he followed asking curiously, "Where are you going to sleep?" Jasper answered for me, having joined our little band again in the hall with Alice, "Oh Edward will stay in my room tonight, I've got a couch he can stay on." Neither one of us mentioned that the room we were just in had been Jasper's bedroom, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Charlie looked apologetically at me, "Sorry for putting you out kid"

"Oh it's fine." I said sincerely, "Jasper and I wanted to watch some old war movies tonight anyway before we fall asleep." Alice was laughing in her mind and Jasper chuckled once or twice. From all our faces though, you'd think we were dead serious, Charlie did anyway. By this time we were at my room, and I led him inside. _Like a good houseguest_ (it was Esme's proud thought not mine), I asked if there was anything I could do or get for him to be more comfortable. He declined and said he just wanted to get some sleep. I told him "Of course." Than politely excused myself from the room, a blanket and pillow in hand that I was bringing to "Jasper's room" tonight. Once I was sure he had settled into bed I stood by waiting for him to fall asleep. I felt a small hand on my arm, and Alice smiled up at me, still arm and arm with Jasper. "Go downstairs - Bella needs you. We'll stay here until he falls asleep, and it's not like you can't hear from our room anyway." She said it too low for human ears. I thanked her just as softy then ran downstairs at my speed, finally _speed, _and stopped outside of their room. I listened to Bella's breathing for a minute, and then I stepped inside.

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_Ok , ok. I know, It's been a long time since I've updated, but jeez my life is getting crazy right now. Sorry, sorry, I'll try to be quicker next time. At least I gave you like, a super hugely long chapter this time, that should make up for some of it. Yea…it really is extremely long isn't it… w/e. I love Jasper POV, hehe. Please review. Reviews = love. _

_Oh, and I totally broke 100 reviews; I was like, "YAY!". SO yea. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!! I really appreciate you reading (and reviewing too). Thanks!_

_-FA. :)_


	14. Chapter 14

BPOV

I was absolutely determined to stay awake until Edward came home, no question about it. I was set in my conviction and aware that I was being positively stubborn. It was a simple decision, and I would stick by it. But Jasper was making this simple decision very difficult. He was making me so calm, unnaturally calm. I thought I should be mad to be manipulated like that - but it felt nice. And I knew he meant it soothingly, so rather that admonish him I heard myself mumble a sincere, "Thank-you" again.

I don't think I ever made the decision to put my head on his shoulder, I just felt so relaxed. And my head was getting heavier and heavier. Next thing I knew, my eyes were closed, just resting, of course. I still intended to stay awake.

And then I fell asleep, _damn it Jasper. _

That was my first thought when I awoke, because I just knew that I'd been sleeping. And only then did other things start to occur to me. Like the fact that Jasper's arm wasn't around me anymore, and then I saw that I wasn't in Edward's room. That frightened me. _What had been a dream? Where was I? _And then my other thoughts caught up to me. It didn't matter anymore where I was or what had been real (I was in that kind of groggy state where you wonder if all reality was the dream and maybe all your dreams were real), all that mattered was Edward. I felt a moment of intense fear, as my previous anxieties came back, and Jasper wasn't here to soothe them this time.

And then, being the slow-reflexive human that I was, I noticed the noise coming from next to me. Any vampire, and probably faster-minded person, would have been more preoccupied by the fact that something was moving in my bed, before letting my head be taken over by any other of my irrational thoughts. And then again, other people would probably have been afraid, startled; I was just confused.

"Edward?" I whispered tentatively, hoping I was right. The movement stopped, I turned over stiffly. Then I felt all my fears drop away as I saw Edward, trying to get slowly into bed with me. He was moving at human pace, which was unlike him and was the reason why I'd heard anything at all, but I only vaguely noticed this. I was too busy being happy.

"Bella." He said in greeting, flashing his crooked smile. He pulled the covers over us, and scooted closer on the bed. I looked over his features scrutinizing them for any need to panic. He noticed my stern expression and his turned a little doubtful, confused. "How are you?" I asked him with genuine meaning, I wondered if he would see my other question beneath this one. He did. His expression hardened. But his eyes stayed somewhat light.

"I'm…" He paused, looking for the right words. "outraged." He finished finally, and must have seen my reproachful look, because he smiled crookedly and brushed his fingers along my face. "…But controlled." At his touch my whole mind was wiped clear of thought and I felt my face melt against his fingertips. _How does he do that? _But once his words sank in I smiled widely.

"Those…_monsters_ won't be back on the streets for a long, long time yet. And I really did speak to Charlie." I felt such a happiness and relief. He hadn't killed them. They were in jail. Alive, but not able to hurt anyone else either. Edward was trying to finish his thought but I cut him off by crashing my lips against his, closing my eyes.

"… Actually he's upstairs now, asleep in my -"

He was surprised, he hadn't been expecting that, but I just couldn't contain the love I felt for him right now. His hand, which had been next to me on the bed when his eyes were focused far away, talking, were now tangling themselves in my hair and I loved it. I peeked a look through my closed eyes to see that his were closed to. Finally, he pulled us apart, and both of us were gasping for air. I smiled fiendishly up at him, "I'd say I'm sorry, but I 'm not." He chuckled once and whispered in my ear, "I'm not either." Then he sighed, but it was a happy sigh, content.

I reached up with my arm, with the intent of pulling his closer - to put it around my shoulders and lean my head against his chest, but I was distracted by the sharp pain of my arm once I'd tried to move it. I hissed involuntarily, and grasped it with my other hand impulsively. That was the wrong move to do. Edward's face immediately looked concerned to the point where it made my stomach flutter. "Bella?!" He breathed in obvious alarm, grabbing my uninjured hand with both of his.

"No, I'm fine. I'm fine." I grumbled, hardly believing my own words. Sure enough he looked at me skeptically. "I think the anesthetic is wearing off, that's all."

"Are you alright. Should I get Carlisle, or some medicine, or -" I put a finger (from my good hand) over his lips. He looked at me with pain in his eyes. Ouch, that hurt, almost more than my physical pain.

"You know what you could do to make me feel better?" I asked. "Anything." He pledged, or asked, I wasn't sure. "This." I told him, than I gingerly took his closest arm and draped it over my shoulders as I'd originally intended. Then I took his farthest arm and pulled it toward me, across his own body. I placed it on my sore arm very gently. He let me move his hands as I wanted to. I closed my eyes for a second when his skin made contact with the bandage of my arm; it was like poking a bruise only worse. He bit his lip and I could see he wanted to pull his hand away (always afraid that he's hurting me), but I sighed contentedly before he could.

"Much better." I said and closed my eyes leaning in to him. His cool hand was better than ice, and ice could never give me the shivers in quite the same way. The way I liked. We sat like this for a few more minutes, and I considered drifting off to sleep, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to yet. I was smiling, and felt myself relax in his embrace, but when I opened my eyes he looked… unhappy? Disturbed? I couldn't place the serious, brooding, almost macabre expression on his features.

He wasn't looking at me, his expression looked pained, as he gazed into the corner of the room. I finally took a good look around and something clicked. "We're in Alice's room." I said, sounding sort of surprised. _When had they moved me in here?_ "Yes." was all he said, still lost in thought. "Why?" I was staring at his face, and he seemed to remember his surroundings as he wiped his face of all emotion and lowered his eyes to mine. I saw the love and regret churning underneath.

_Oh no, he's blaming himself again, isn't he. _I mentally groaned, hoping to avoid an awkward and unwanted conversation that was probably inevitable. But he just flashed his golden eyes at me and I forgot my upcoming dilemma.

"I brought Charlie here. He didn't want to go home with you not there - and he sort of…lost it, at the station. He's in my room now, and I thought it would be better if we claimed you were here in Alice's, for his peace of mind." I mulled over that for a moment, "Oh.". _My father was staying over night here in a house full of vampires… Strange. _And yet, not as strange as it probably should be, but Edward was staring out the window again, a serious look on his face, I mentally sighed.

"What are you thinking?" I asked, quoting one of his favorite expressions to use on me. He smiled in recognition of the phrase, but it didn't reach his eyes this time. After a moment or two he answered quietly, "You." I watched his face. The hand he had around my shoulders started making circles almost of its own accord. He seemed to be deliberating something, but before I could ask, he was already explaining.

"Why didn't you tell me? How bad it had gotten?" He pulled his eyes away from the window and brought them to look at me, tortured. I shuddered, and immediately his expression went from disgruntled, to remorseful. He didn't press me for answers, instead held me tighter and murmured into my hair, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…I just - I saw what those men had been thinking, and once I knew you were ok, I didn't want to think it had been that bad, but they unknowingly showed me what they did."

I was shaking now, in his arms. I hadn't wanted to relive the night - again. I wanted to be strong, and tell Edward I was alright, that he needn't worry. I knew he'd blame himself, and it wasn't his fault. I wanted to say all these things at once; but suddenly his words distracted me and I heard a grimy voice whisper darkly, _"We'll give her something she can really cry about.". _Before I knew it I _was_ crying, partially out of anger at myself. I hated feeling weak, and I knew I was causing Edward pain.

He took his hand off my arm and folded me into both his arms, pulling me into his chest. One hand was rubbing my back, as the other held my head and let my cry onto his shoulder, which I did. I curled my knees up into a ball, and they creaked from their bruises and I felt the bruise across my back Edward probably didn't know was there, and I just lost it. He just held me and murmured soothing words into my hair. After a few minutes I started gaining control again and paid attention to the actual words he was saying.

"_Shh.. Bella. It's alright I've got you. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't here, it was my fault, I should have protected you. It won't ever happen again. I'm sorry. Shh. It's aright._" I cried myself into silence and then let his words envelope me, listening only to his voice, and letting his velvet voice push the demons; the nightmares, away. But they weren't right, his words, and once I'd calmed down enough to be rational I found myself getting angry. His words didn't make sense, or at least, they shouldn't; _I_ didn't think they did.

"_That's_ why I didn't tell you!" I said in a raspy voice that portrayed my anger all the same. He blanched away from my glare looking positively ashamed. "I'm sorry love. I should have known better then to have brought it up, I don't know why I asked." He still sounded so guilty it was irritating. I poked him in the chest accusingly, "No, not because it bothers me to think about." I paused, he looked confused. "Sorry?" he said questioningly. He'd meant it as a question, like from a different era when people would say 'sorry?' instead of 'What?', but it proved my point too perfectly to pass up the opportunity.

"_Don't be_! _That's _why I didn't want to talk about it, because I knew you would blame yourself and it's not your fault Edward!"

"But I should have -" He said with an air of self-hatred, but I cut him off before he could say what I knew he was thinking.

"No! You shouldn't have! You went hunting with your family, that's perfectly understandable, and I don't want you beating yourself up over me. You didn't see this coming, so you are not at fault here, you even came back early to save me. I'm grateful that you're here, so stop making it seem like every little bad thing that happens to me is because of you." He stared at me, shock on his face, and a little bit of defiance.

"But…" He said, and then stopped, obviously trying to find an argument.

"No buts." I said just as acidly, "It was their fault, not yours and not mine. And I got myself out before anything serious even happened." A grimace crossed his face, and I knew he'd seen everything. I would have been embarrassed, but I was too busy being irate.

"If it hadn't been for you, this would have happened anyway, and they wouldn't be sitting in a jail cell right now too." He was just gaping at me, his face still hard. I made my voice quieter, more calm as I placed my head back on his chest. I kissed his collarbone lightly and felt him relax just a tad.

"I love you Edward." I said it softly now, all traces of anger gone, my eyes closed again. "And I _hate_ it when people bad-mouth my Edward, even my amazing… fiancée, Edward Cullen." His arms tightened around me and I could tell he was more relaxed. I knew that would work. I was warming up to the word now, it didn't sicken me as much as it used to, and it made him happy - so I could live with it. Heck, I would use it too, if it would make him stop blaming himself for my weaknesses. I hoped he understood.

"I love you too Isabella Swan." He whispered into my hair, then he put his cool hand back on my bandaged arm. I laid my head back against his col chest, and I drifted off to sleep, a smile on my lips.

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Ok, so this chapter contains a good deal of both angst and fluff. I hope I got Edward's reaction right and he was in character… I think I did, but I'm not sure. :/ W/e. Ok, so I know this chap was late too (please keep the pitchforks away!), but I had com problems and have been away all weekend. So, yea. Sorry. Thanks for reading. Hope you like it, and please, please, please review.

-FA. :)


	15. Chapter 15

BPOV

I have to say, for most of the week after the incident, I was pretty much alright. I still had some nightmares here and there, but I always woke up in the arms of Edward, who would be stroking my hair and murmuring that I was ok. He finally left to go hunting about a week after the incident, and, not gonna lie, that's when I became kind of a wreck.

I tried not to show it, I went to school that day and everything, but I'm sure everyone noticed that I was jumpier than usual. My hands shook, I broke a few things accidentally, and I think I was even clumsier than I already am. I was really distracted too, I have no idea what the lessons had been about. But I tried to keep an upbeat (however fake) and nonchalant attitude. But when I came home I abandoned any hope of homework and just flew up the stairs. Without an audience to entertain with my charade, I let the smile fall off of my face and let myself shake as much as I wanted.

Then I just curled up on my bed into a tight little ball. I let only a few tears escape as some repressed flashbacks overtook me, but eventually I was able to calm myself down. After a few minutes of continuous hyperventilating, I realized how silly I was being and started chanting to myself, _"You're alright. Nothing's hurting you. You're ok. You're fine."_ I let the words sink in and eventually I was just curled up in a ball, tears, hyperventilating, and (thankfully) flashbacks all gone.

I was even a little proud of the fact that I was able to breathe normally again of my own free will. That meant I wasn't _completely_ dependant on Edward... Well, I was, and am, but not in the aspect that I can't control my emotions _at all_ without him there. Now I knew I could be truthful when I told him I would be ok if he left to hunt, I could take care of myself, at least enough to suffice. So I wiped my eyes and sat up, suddenly appreciating the sun that was pouring into my room.

Then I realized the tragic flaw of letting my emotions show when I was finally alone. I dropped the charade because no one would see me; but now I realized that that wasn't true. Someone _would_ have seen that little breakdown right there, and she wasn't about to hide that from her brother, who was with her when she saw it.

"_Damn it." _I muttered, sitting cross-legged on my bed now. It had taken so long to convince him I would be ok while he went hunting. Carlisle and Esme were both home, phones on, in case anything else could possibly happen to endanger me, but he still had to be persuaded to leave despite this. And I knew he would jump at the slightest notion of me needing him, what with his borderline-ridiculous guilt.

I got up and went over to the mirror on my dresser. I saw the scowl on my face as bitter guilt and embarrassment hit me at the fact that I'd probably been caught. Well, I had to try to stop him from overreacting and coming straight back home.

I looked myself right in the eye with a hard expression on my serious face (in the mirror), just the way I know I'd look if I were looking at the person I really wanted the words to get to.

"Alice," I said sternly, almost angry, but not quite, "Don't you tell him if you saw that." Suddenly I hoped she had, because if not, and she caught this, this would be blown even farther out of proportion then my first outburst on the bed. "You tell him I'm fine. You let him know that I am perfectly ok, and there's no need to come rushing home this instant. _I'm fine_." I said the last sentence slowly, enunciating both words. Then as an afterthought, I dropped the hard expression, and whispered sincerely, "Really."

Then I went and sat down at my desk, putting my head on my arms. I wondered if Alice had seen either incident, my outburst of crying, or the message meant for her. I wasn't sure if I hoped she hadn't so I wouldn't have to explain myself later, or have Edward rushing home to save me at his expense. Or if I wanted her to see them, so that I wouldn't have just had a whole conversation with myself and a mirror in an otherwise empty house for no reason - making me truly crazy.

However, before I'd even begun contemplating which option I wanted, my phone started buzzing next to my ear on the desk. I picked it up, checked the number, and sighed, opening the text message I'd just received.

"Love, r u sure? I'll leave right now if it wood be better 4 u."

It was Edward's number.

I smiled, thinking of Edward's grammatically impaired text message. He only ever shortened words to make things infinitesimally faster; as in, when he's nervous about me. I started typing back, knowing my response must be taking forever in comparison.

"Yes, Edward. I'm sure. Don't come home yet. I'm fine. Promise. Keep having fun." Sure enough, as soon as I hit send, there was about five seconds before it was vibrating again, and yet I knew he'd gotten, and read, every one of my words.

"I'll be back tonite instead of tomorrow."

I stared at his words for a few seconds, debating whether or not to argue. I wanted him to have fun with his family, and I didn't want him coming back thirsty, especially on my account. But if he stayed the rest of the day with them he could do that. And then I would get to fall asleep in his arms and not alone tonight. I sighed, giving in selfishly, and picked up the phone again.

"I love you." I typed, conveying my consent. I meant every word and hoped some of the meaning wasn't lost because of the not so romantic manner of speech; text message is hardly the way to describe an undying devotion to your one true love. But I think it worked all the same, because I swooned a little when I opened the next message a few seconds later that read;

"And I you. See you tonight. 3"

It was just a little 'less than' sign and a three, but it made my heart flutter all the same. Then I went downstairs and made dinner for Charlie with a new, genuine, kick in my step, knowing what would await me later.

After dinner I actually attempted my homework, and was quite happy that I was able to finish all of it by 9:00 o'clock. So I showered, changed, and got ready for bed. I went downstairs and said goodnight to Charlie, who got up of the couch and headed for the stairs too, also on his way to sleep. After a quick "goodnight" I headed towards my bedroom door.

_What if he's not back yet? Should I wait up for him? Would I be able to fall asleep anyway? _Suddenly the creaking seemed a whole lot louder and I eyed the shadows coming from downstairs suspiciously. Everything always seemed scarier in the dark. My hand shook a little as I realized I was going to have to lay in the dark without Edward and only my imagination to entertain me. I was wondering if it would be possible to avoid another outburst as I turned the doorknob and dismally pushed it forward into the darkness of my room.

And suddenly I was in his arms.

"I missed you." He whispered into my hair, his arms pulling me into his chest. We were still standing in my doorway and I had to wonder how long he'd been waiting for me to come in. Suddenly all the anxiety and doubt I'd just been having seemed to slip away as a warmness spread throughout my body, despite his cool arms. "I missed you too." I whispered back happily, all thoughts of nightmares gone.

Then he let me out of his embrace, but kept both my hand in one of his. He nudged the door closed with his other hand and led me over to the bed by his hand. I followed willingly.

"C'mere." Was all he said as he sat down on my bed, he folded his legs in front of him leaning his back against the wall. With a gentle tug he guided me onto his lap, one of my favorite places to sit. As soon as I was comfortable he folded his arms around me, closing me in toward his body. He kissed the top of my head lovingly. I tilted my head down toward my chest and laid it against his chest. He began rocking back and forth and I was truly content. He was humming something, it sounded new, it was soothing and comforting at the same time.

After a while he broke the silence and whispered to me, "I'm proud of you, you know." That made me confused. I tilted my head up to look at him.

"Why?" I asked incredulously. All I'd done was have a minor mental break down.

He paused for a moment. "Well," He started quietly, "I was so edgy when I was hunting. I really do hate being away from you, you know." His brow furrowed and a frown appeared on his face. I kissed his collarbone a few times then moved to the hollow of his neck until he'd unthawed himself. "It's hard for me too." I murmured between kisses. He let himself get less tense and said, "I know." Then hugged me closer for a few seconds kissing my hair again.

"but when I saw Alice's vision, of you on in here crying… Well, I took off running. Back here to you." He was trying to talk lightly, but he couldn't hide the distress he'd felt at the time. I just looked at him, waiting for him to continue, which he did.

"But then my cell phone started ringing and it was Alice. I was afraid she'd seen something else, and she had." He began stroking my hair without realizing it. "She told me that she'd seen you talking to her, and she gave me your message… I was skeptical at first, so I sent the first message. But I was running back to Alice all the same. She showed me her second vision as a memory, and I saw that you'd been able to make yourself ok. And as much as I wanted to be the one to save you - I was proud, you didn't need to be saved after all." He looked down and met my eyes. I was blushing. I didn't really know what to say, so I just stared into his eyes. It was hard to imagine, while staring into his brilliantly golden eyes, that just hours before I'd been hyperventilating on this very bed.

And I really couldn't remember why just then either. He grinned crookedly at me. My mind went blank, blissfully, happily, blank. I sighed and leaned against him stifling a yawn. But he caught it.

"I think it's time for bed." He said and jokingly touched his nose to mine. My skin tingled from the touch and I smiled. I nodded too. Next thing I knew I was lying down on my bed underneath the covers, and Edward was laying behind me; my back pressed against his cool chest. He draped the blanket over us so I wouldn't be cold, but his arm was also draped around me. I also felt his chin resting on my shoulder. He began trailing kisses up and down my neck. I sighed.

"Bella?"

"Mmm?" I was barely able to form coherent thoughts while he did this, never mind words.

"I love you." He whispered, resting his chin back on my shoulder unmoving again. I reached up to his arm and interlaced our fingers a smile on my lips.

"And I you." I said, pressing our intertwined hands to my lips.

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_Ok. So here's the deal. I may or may not do one or two final chapters about the emotional implications of a trial. I dunno yet. If I decide not to though, this is it, and I'd like to thank everyone for reading, I really appreciate all the support and reviews. Really I do. Love, love, love! So yea, not sure yet, maybe, maybe not. But in the meantime, I'm going away for a few days, so the soonest I'll update (if I do at all) will be Monday probably. So yea, lemme know what you think about a trial, and thanks again for reading. _

_-FA :)_


	16. AN The End

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to post and say, that yea, I'm not continuing on with this story. A trial would have been interesting, but I don't know how I would have written it. I took a break from fanfic-ing for a while because I was started to feel obsessed, and honestly, I wanted to work on some of my original works more as apposed to something borrowed. Fanfics are fun, but when they get in the way of your original writings it gets messy. So yea; I'm not done fanfic-ing totally, but I am gonna tone it down a bit. Sorry, for the extremely long wait on this post, and I hope you enjoyed a Walk in the Dark! Thanks for all the support. :D 3

As Always,

-Freckled Advocate


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